The Confectionery of Southern Italy: From the Tradition to the Future

The confectionery tradition of Southern Italy is as wide as the abundant production of high-quality products: milk, cream, wheat, oil and butter, chocolate, must, fresh and dried fruit. Southern Italy is full of flavors and fragrances. From the sea to the mountains, from ancient Greece to the Middle Ages to contemporary society, many influences have led to the typical desserts we taste today. The cultural background is very rich with traditions that are different from each other, which eventually left their mark in the kitchen. Southern Italy really has a very huge tradition of typical sweets, ranging from poor cuisine to the finesse of Arab pastry. In this chapter, we describe some typical cakes, such as the cassata, the pastiera, etc. making some suggestive considerations on the products of the future. The bakery of the future will look more like an art gallery than a sweet shop: crossing its threshold will involve a multi-sensorial experience. Finally, it should increasingly consider the health aspect and environmental sustainability.