If you are like me and you never skip dessert, this article is for you. It’s safe to assume you already know that Italy is world renowned for its cuisine. It boasts some of the most incredible desserts known to humankind (“Leave the gun — take the cannoli.”).
Lecce (my home base when I travel), like every region in Italy, has its specialties. The city is situated deep in southern Puglia — the “heel” of boot-shaped Italy. It lies closer to Greece than to Rome, and the distance shows in many ways: local dialects, architecture, and (of course) food.
I’d like to say that on my first trip to Lecce, I had dutifully done my research and knew even before my plane hit the tarmac which foods I needed to track down and try. But I didn’t. In fact, I had gone back several times before I tried everything even on this very short list. On the plus-side, over the course of several years, I had a lot of time to get the inside scoop from the locals on what to eat and where. I’ll save you the time and expense and distill it down to the quintessential four recommended-by-the-locals must-eat sweets. So, here we go: The top four traditional treats you absolutely must try when in Lecce.
Pasticciotto
A typical breakfast in Lecce will probably include coffee and one of these delightful sweets. Pasticciotti are little, oval, crumbly pastries filled with sweet, thick cream. My first thought upon hearing that it’s a legitimate breakfast choice, was that it might be a bit rich and sugary for breakfast. But I can hardly point accusatory fingers about healthy breakfast choices when my hometown USA diner will serve me up some syrup soaked pancakes in the morning. Regardless, it’s a tasty treat at any time of day and something you can’t miss when in Lecce.
Legend has it that Pasticciotti originated in 1745 in the small town of Galatina, about a half-hour’s drive from Lecce. The pastry chef, Andrea Ascalone, was experimenting in his kitchen, trying to find a new recipe to boost business. He created these tiny pastries to use up bits of leftover pastry and filling from another torta and improvised a diminutive cake.
Warning! Nerdery ahead
The word “pasticcio” means something like “mess” or “bungle” in Italian. When the baker who made these called them “pasticciotti” he was referring to them as mistakes he had made. These little “mess ups” were very well-received and stuck around, and so did their name.
There are a variety of different flavors, but the original Pasticciotto is a very simple shortbread-like pastry filled with thick, vanilla custard-like, pastry cream. You can also try pistacchio, chocolate, chocolate filled with white chocolate cream, strawberry… the list goes on and on. Whatever flavor you choose and whenever you eat them, they are best when served warm alongside a cup of coffee.
Where to get them
You can find them all over Lecce. Here are some local favorites:
Crem Lecce
This is a popular spot with the locals in Lecce, bustling with activity all year round as people stop in for morning coffee, afternoon treat, or late-evening gelato. They offer a wide variety of artfully designed desserts, but my trip is not complete unless I have had one of their pistacchio pasticciotti.
Via G. Marconi, 19, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy
Caffè Alvino
The bank of pastries that greet you when you first walk into the shop is overwhelming. It’s right in the main piazza in the historic center, and the people watching if you sit outside is fantastic. Even if you don’t, it’s a great place to get a coffee and a snack.
Piazza Sant’Oronzo, 30, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy
Bar Meeting
Tucked back in the quiet residential streets outside of the historic center, the neighborhood itself probably wouldn’t call to most people, inviting further investigation. Still, even in the most pedestrian of neighborhoods, you can find surprises like these. The wide selection of pasticciotti is the draw here: Chocolate, white chocolate, pistachio, strawberry, and so on, all lined up and ready to send you into a delightful tailspin of indecision. I am grateful to the friend who suggested it to me or I never would have known what was inside the unassuming facade.
Via Alfonso Sozy Carafa, 82, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy
Pasticceria Andrea Ascalone
This tiny pasticceria is the birthplace of this iconic pastry. What more is there to say? If you really want the original Pasticciotto, go to the source here in Galatina. The town lies about 25 km outside of Lecce, and is well worth the effort to get to for it’s beauty, art, and architecture. Still, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t make the trip to Galatina primarily to seek out this particular shop.
Via Vittorio Emanuele II 17, 73013, Galatina, Italia
Fruttone
Fruttone is the first-cousin of the pasticciotto. It’s the same shape, and uses the same friable shortbread crust, but instead of filling it with pastry cream, they put a dollop of fruit preserves (often pear or quince) at the base, and then pile on sweet, rich almond paste. And, as if that didn’t sound delectable enough, it’s topped off with a dark chocolate glaze. This one is for the truly dedicated dessert lover. If you have a sweet tooth, the fruttone was made for you.
Where to get them
These are widely available in coffee shops, but here are a few really good ones:
Pasticceria Natale
This is a shining jewel-box of sweets. They have pastries (like fruttone) and gelato, but also chocolates and beautiful gifts. It’s always humming with activity, especially during the evening hours when everyone is walking up and down the main pedestrian thoroughfare of Lecce. The drool invoking window displays alone are worth the visit.
Via Salvatore Trinchese, 7, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy
Pasticceria Pinti
High quality shop with an elegant feel, but being just outside of the historic center, it’s got a slightly less frenetic vibe than those in the high-traffic main squares and streets. Fantastic outdoor seating in the warmer seasons, and friendly staff. Get a fruttone, but while you are there, check out the fanciful list of pasticciotti as well.
Viale Francesco Lo Re, 83, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy
Copeta
Almonds abound in Puglia, and they show up in all kinds of sweets, including copeta. It’s a blend of honey, melted sugar, and almonds that is crunchy and delicious when it cools. It’s traditionally a holiday treat but you can find year round, in specialty shops, or even the grocery store. The best way to enjoy copeta, though, is to be around during the likely event of a celebration where you might be able to get it freshly made from a street vendor. I happened across a stall at a small festa in Lecce, just outside a little church that was dressed up in lights for the occasion. These events are so common, that, when I asked a nearby shop owner the next day what the festivities were all about, he didn’t know, saying, “… these things happen all the time.” If you are really lucky, you might even catch them in the process of making a new batch. If the sweet smell of warm copeta alone doesn’t tempt you, watching them pour out a hot batch of this glistening, amber-colored confection and smoothing it out on the cooling block will surely do the trick.
Where to get it
Street vendors, if you can find it. Or…
Golosità del Salento
These people are dedicated to the quality of their products, of which there are many. I made the mistake of asking the shop owner if the olive oil he sold was from the nearby or from elsewhere in Puglia. He seemed offended that I would think it was anything but oil from anywhere but Lecce. This is a great place to pick up local specialties of all kinds – including copeta, whether to bring home or to eat on the spot. In fact, you’ll probably be forced to eat a few samples.
Via Arcivescovo Petronelli, 3, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy
Pasticceria Natale
I know I already recommended this one, but it really deserves a second mention here. The presentation of all of their confections is stellar, the humble copeta included.
Via Salvatore Trinchese, 7, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy
Cotognata
This jewel-toned sweet is a simple fruit preserve that is thick enough to cut into pieces and eat with (sticky) fingers. It is made with quince fruit, and ranges in color from a lovely orange to deep garnet. As pretty to look at as it is delicious.
Cotognata is not for everyone for two reasons: 1) the texture — depending on how it is made, cotognata can be a little grainy and some people (I’m not naming names) have called that off-putting, and 2) quince fruit has a mild, but somewhat distinctive flavor — a cross between pear and apple that can even have some floral notes — a friend of mine said it tasted “exotic”… it wasn’t an insult, but it wasn’t exactly a compliment either. So, while I happen to love cotognata, it is clear that this love is not universal.
Accomplished home cooks in the Salento will make this with pride and rightfully so because, when made with care, this three-ingredient dessert is nothing less than swoon-worthy. You can get cotognata everywhere, and quality varies. Less than stellar cotognata is not worth going out of your way for. Fortunately, however, I know a guy who knows a place where the cotognata is made in the back, by the loving hands of the owners. Swoon-worthy might be an understatement.
Where to get it
Cotognata Leccese
This is THE place to get cotognata in Lecce. A fully stocked coffee bar and pastry shop in its own right, and just a few steps outside of the oft-crowded center. They advertise the cotognata in the window, but it’s easy to walk right past unless someone tells you the secret that lies within.
Viale Guglielmo Marconi 51, 73100, Lecce, Italia
There you have it! The top four breakfast/dessert/sweet-afternoon-midmorning-anytime-snacks that you can’t miss when you travel to Lecce and where to get them as suggested by the friendly people who live there. Of course, everyone has their own favorites and the fun part of travel is seeking them out, chatting up the locals to find their favorites, and tasting them yourself!
Header image credit: I, Calcagnile Floriano, User:Florixc https://www.flickr.com/photos/florixc/ [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]