The calzoncello di Melfi is a small biscuit produced exclusively in this city at the foot of Mount Vulture for Christmas tables.
The biscuit has a cylindrical shape and is about 2-3 cm in size. It consists of a very thin white wine layer that encloses a filling made of toasted almonds, dark chocolate, sugar and tangerine peel.
The origins of this biscuit are unclear as no written documentation has yet been found. The recipe is handed down orally from generation to generation. Relying on the stories of the elderly in Melfi, it turns out that, although it was consumed by the wealthiest families in the area due to the presence of expensive and elite products such as chocolate and almonds, it was not absent from the Christmas tables of the poorest families. In this case, in fact, it was prepared using little chocolate by mixing the almonds with hazelnuts, which were less expensive and more present on Mount Vulture.
The calzoncello di Melfi is the typical sweet of the city of Melfi. It is produced exclusively at Christmas time and then stored in tin containers.
Students of the Gastronomic Sciences at Pollenzo are collaborating with Slow Food to fill the Ark.