Desserts

Do Italians have a sweet tooth? One might think so on noticing the displays of pastries in every coffee bar; on regularly meeting one’s neighbor at the local espresso counter, cappuccino in one hand and a cornetto—croissant—in the other; on observing the irresistible spread of gelato shops. But if they are tempted by sweets, Italians yield to that temptation at a cafe, at a gelateria, at a restaurant, seldom at home.

At a family dinner, the first course of pasta, risotto, or soup begins to tip the scales of one’s interest and capacity. Once one has progressed through the meat or fish course, accompanied by vegetable and salad, there is little interest in or capacity for anything of substance. In fact, most meals in Italy end on a light note. It is likely that even an enterprising Italian cook will bake no more than one cake or batch of cookies during the whole year. Nor would it be surprising if in a lifetime of cooking she (because it is almost always “she”) produced nothing more elaborate for dessert than a bowl of fruit.