Gâteau Pacifique

The biscuit joconde, which forms the base of the gâteau pacifique, is named for Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous masterpiece, the Mona Lisa. The French refer to the Mona Lisa as “Lajoconde.” This is because the painting was bequeathed to Da Vinci’s assistant, a man named Salai, who referred to the painting as “La Gioconda.” The word Gioconda is thought to have a double meaning, referring to both the model for the painting, Lisa del Giocondo, as well as to the Italian word jocund, wh