Cassata

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Cassata or Cassata siciliana is a traditional sweet from the area of Palermo, Sicily (Italy). Cassata may also refer to a Neapolitan ice cream containing candied or dried fruit and nuts.

The Sicilian word cassata did not derive from Arabic qashatah ("bowl"), as is often claimed, but from caseata ("cheese concoction"), according to John Dickie,^[1] who observes that cassata did not even signify a dessert until the late 1600s and did not take on anything like its current striped green-and-white form until the 18th century. "Cassata" he finds, "is the subject of an invented tradition based on the claim that its roots lie in the Muslim Middle Ages. Many other local food traditions purport to be as old."^[2]

Traditional

The cassata siciliana consists of round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese, candied peel, and a chocolate or vanilla filling similar to cannoli cream. It is covered with a shell of marzipan, pink and green pastel colored icing, and decorative designs. The cassata is finally topped with candied fruit depicting cherries and slices of citrus fruit characteristic of Sicily.

Variations

Unlike the round, traditional shape some cassata are made in the form of a rectangle, square, or box. It's interesting to note that the word "box" in Italian is "cassa", although it's unlikely that the word "cassata" originated from this term.

When making a cassata, layers of gelato (Italian ice cream) can be substituted for the layers of cheese, producing a dessert similar to an ice cream cake.

"Cassata Catanese", as it is often prepared in the Sicilian province of Catania, is made similar to a pie, containing a top and bottom crust, filled with ricotta, and baked in the oven.

Ice-cream

"Cassata" can also refer to a flavor of ice-cream inspired by the sweet.

See also

• Cannoli

Notes