L'Antica Dolceria Bonajuto In Modica

Realmente, visitar essa pequena loja de delícias é um programa imperdível em Modica. Os cannoli são os melhores que experimentei na Sicília.

While in Modica, we took a tour of the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily. While there, we were given a full explanation of chocolate making from the harvesting of beans from Africa and other places, through the roasting process, the cooking and tempering of chocolate and the addition of various components to vary its taste and percentage of chocolate in the mix. We tasted varied offerings including ‘mpanatigghi, nougats, and a delicious cold chocolate. ‘Mpanatigghi are pocket-filled cookies that have a thin outer crust and a rich, decadent filling made of chocolate, sugar, eggs, almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of lemon peel, and either some ground beef or veal. These strange sounding cookies shaped like calzones are a specialty of Modica and draw crowds who have come to visit the city of “a hundred churches and hundred bells.” We made two bars of our own to take away with us upon conclusion of our visit. We were free to add any ingredients to create our own flavors. These could include sea salt, pistachios, chili, cinnamon, orange, cherries, or anything else we chose to include. I had a blast and walked away on a sugar high after tasting more than a half dozen different concoctions plus the chocolate factory’s offerings. This is a “must have” experience that I highly recommend.