For Christmas this too is a typical dessert that cannot be missed on our tables. So easy to make and so soft and sweet that it melts in your mouth. Ricciarelli di Siena are the first certified Italian confectionery product, and together with panforte and cavallucci they have become the symbol of Christmas in Tuscany. The Ricciarelli Igp are free of flour according to the recipe that has been handed down for centuries.

The origin of Siena’s ricciarelli is not very clear, it is certainly known that they derive from the Sienese marzipan and daimarzipanetti, known since the fifteenth century and also present on the table of Caterina Sforza on her wedding day. In Siena, marzipan had probably been imported from the East. Some sources claim that the etymology of the word derives from the Burmese city of Martaban while others are more likely to believe that the Arabic term mauthban, a characteristic container of marzipan rolls, was taken into consideration in coining this denomination.

The exact date of the birth of these sweets is not known, but it is plausible to believe that they are an elaboration of marzipan, based on what was used in the eastern countries, where that pastry made with almonds, honey was dusted with different flavors and aromas and sugar. For ricciarelli resorted to vanilla. This hypothesis could also support the thesis of those who argue that the term “ricciarello” was coined by recalling those shoes with the curled toes characteristic of those peoples. The strong link between Ricciarello and the Eastern world is evident, but nothing is certain, except for the great appreciation and their rapid affirmation both in Italy and abroad, especially in France.