Italian cuisine has many delicious foods to offer us, both sweet and savory. Today, we want to look at one of our favorite Italian dessert options, cannolis. This crunchy pastry shell with its sweet, creamy filling is the perfect thing to wrap up any meal, but especially one from Luisa’s!
We all love cannolis, but how much do you know about them? Let’s find out where this dessert came from.
They’ve been around since the Middle Ages.
We associate cannolis with Italian immigrants to America, but they’ve been around for much longer than that. In fact, people have been enjoying them for centuries. They originated in Sicily, where Spanish and Arab settlers first made them. The word "cannolo" comes from the Arabic word "qanawat," which means "reeds." They were given this name because the rolled-up pastry resembles hollow reeds.During the Middle Ages, monks made cannoli, and they were a treat for special occasions. It was only later that they became a staple in Sicilian cuisine. The traditional recipe for cannoli includes a deep-fried pastry dough filled with a sweet ricotta cheese filling, often flavored with vanilla, chocolate, or candied fruit.
Immigrants brought them to America.
In the early 20th century, Sicilian immigrants brought cannoli to the United States, where they became a popular pastry in Italian-American communities. Today, you can find cannolis in bakeries, pastry shops, and Italian restaurants across the country. People often also serve them at weddings, holidays, and other special occasions.In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in traditional Sicilian cuisine, and cannoli have seen a resurgence in popularity. Many chefs and bakers have started to experiment with different fillings and flavors, such as Nutella, tiramisu, and even savory fillings.
Grab some cannolis at Luisa’s!
Cannolis are an ancient traditional Italian pastry with deep-rooted history, enjoyed by many and with many variations. They’ve come a long way since the monks made them hundreds of years ago, but the joy you get from eating them hasn’t gone away. No meal is really complete without dessert, so don’t forget to snag a few when you order dinner from Luisa’s!
