Istituto “F. Tozzi” di Civitella Paganico - ItaliaScuola dell’infanzia di Paganico - Scuola dell’infanzia di

CampagnaticoVia Malavolti 31, 58045 Paganico

Tel. 0039 564 905037 FAX 0039 564 905675 e-mail gric8177p@istruzione.it

Laura Bozzi laura.bozzi@libero.it

A lot of people know and appreciate ”Panpepato” today, but there are even more estimators of “Panforte” and other typical Sienese cakes, which are considered among the most ancient and typical cakes in Italy. The modern Panforte is obviously different from the one which was eaten in the town and in the rural area during the Middle Ages. At that time there was the “Panes Melatos”, a sort of cake made with flour, water, figs, grapes and honey, which was rich and savoury when it was fresh and after a few days it turned sour and took a strong taste: that is why it was called “Panis Fortis” or “Panforte”. During the 13th Century , thanks to the crusades and the following trades with the East, the Sienese were among the first who discovered, appreciated and took the precious spices to their country.

According to tradition “Panforte” was born in the monastery of Montecellesi, where one day Sister Leta, who was in charge of cooking, opened the kitchen cupboard and saw that the small bags containing almonds, candies, flour, spices etc. had been gnawed off. As she could not separate the things that had mixed up, she decided to boil some honey and add all the ingredients spread in the cupboard, in order to cook something for the poor.

A black cat arrived, just while she was cooking, it rubbed against her dress and made a strange sound, which was not typical of cats: the nun thought he was a personification of the Devil, so she sent him away and threw him the hot mixture. When Sister Berta, the Mother Abbess arrived she was happy that the Devil had run away and wanted to taste what was left. She enjoyed its smell and taste very much and decided to call it “Panpepato”. Let us go back to the facts which have been documented. The success of “Panpepato” ( or more generally “Panforte”) soon passed over Sienese frontiers and several documents proof its presence at elegant banquets offered by the rich all over Italy and also abroad. In order to give emphasis to the great competence which was necessary to produce Panpepato, in an old parchment of the first years of 18th century we can read a list of primary ingredients which, in addition to water and fire, reach the number of seventeen ( as many as the Sienese quarters, “contrade”, ever since 1675). The order was: candied oranges, candied lemon skin, cinnamon bark, corianders, aromatic pepper, cloves, nutmeg. Furthermore, as if it were a magical rite, the following virtues were to be added:- honesty- laboriousness- love for good things- temperance The man who made Panforte had to be so virtuous, because those virtues led to perfection.

Panforte recipeIngredients for 6 people100 g flour, 120 g kernels of walnuts, 300 g sugar, 180 g almonds, 25 g candied orange, 25 g candied cedar, 250 g black candied melon, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of vanilla powder, a pinch of coriander, a pinch of cloves, flour for baking tin, cinnamon for baking tin, hosts

PREPARATIONBlanch the walnuts and the almonds in boiling water, then plunge them in cold water and peel. Toast the fruits in a hot oven for 5 minutes, then chop them up. Place the mixture on the pastry board, add the chopped candied fruit, cinnamon, vanilla powder, coriander, cloves and flour and knead it. Heat sugar in a saucepan until it forms lumps, then add it to the mixture and mix until you obtain a consistent mixture. Put the mixture into a baking tin covered with hosts, level it so that it is quite thick, then sprinkle the surface with a mixture of flour and cinnamon. Cook the cake in the oven at 140 degrees for half an hour, then allow it to cool on a grill. If you don’t eat it by the end of the day, wrap it in a tin foil: the cake will be delicious even after a month.

Rules and explanation of the gamePerhaps not everyone knows this, but with a panforte you can also play. It is a popular game very common in Siena and in Maremma too, handed down by traditions to brighten up the cold winter nights. The "game of panforte" needs a few accessories: a panforte wrapped in the old fashioned way (it’s not good the type packed in cardboard boxes), a quite long table and a referee with a stiff meter (or, as an alternative, a long wooden spoon). The players, divided into teams, take turns rolling the panforte on the table trying to get as close as possible to the opposite edge, the referee measures the length obtained by each player until the end of the turn. The referee awards the point to the player who, in the round, gets closer to the edge. If the panforte goes out and falls on the floor the throw is not valid. If it exceeds the edge, while still remaining on the table, then it is a "hut" which becomes the new measurement to overcome.

SUPER

Water and fireWhere to play: outdoors or indoors

What you need: an object of your choice

Rules and explanation of the game

Hide an object somewhere in the house or garden, without being seen by one participant who need to keep his eyes closed! Then when you say: “ Go!” he

runs to find the hidden object: all the other partecipants say "water" if their friend is too far away from the object, "shotfirer" if he is a little

closer and "fire" if he is coming to see it. You cannot lie: if you cheat you are out from the game for a

turn!

object

A child hides an object

The object is hidden

another child has to find the object