Bocconotto of Castel Frentano
Bocconotto castellino' is a sweet made of chocolate, almonds and eggs, a delicacy that represents a masterpiece of Abruzzo's culinary art. The original bocconotto, which you can taste in many pastry shops, calls for top-quality, roasted and chopped almonds, bitter cocoa, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and, above all, cooked must, as much as is needed to make a mixture the consistency of jam.
Legend has it that a nobleman from Abruzzo expressed to his maid the desire for a sweet that could be eaten in one bite... hence the origin of its name, but other sources say that when the royal procession led by King Umberto I passed by at Castel Frentano, the women created bocconotti as a tribute to the royal's fine palate. It is widespread in different areas of Abruzzo, with different variants, but the typical production area is the municipality of Castel Frentano.
The birth of this traditional regional sweet is dated between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, coinciding with the introduction of cocoa in Europe, as the prerogative of noble families, and only in the 20th century would it become more popular. Each family has its own tradition and recipe that it considers original. Of course, the best bocconotti are those made at home, by expert hands that continue to make them using the same recipe handed down from generation to generation.
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