Hard, harder, Cantuccini! The secret of Italy's cult biscuits

Delicate flavour, but also quite a hard bite: Cantuccini from Prato^{_{Photo: stock.adobe.com/Nitr}}

From of our editorial team

They look harmless - and yet you can almost bite your teeth out on them.

Cantuccini, the rock-hard almond biscuits from Italy, are among the country's best-known biscuits worldwide. And they are one thing above all: steeped in tradition. Cantuccini originally come from the Tuscanymore precisely from Prato, a town near Florence. That's why they are also called Biscotti di Prato in Tuscany.

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Premiere in the Renaissance

They were first mentioned in writing there in the 16th century, at the height of the Renaissance - but back then they were still made without almonds. The classic version, as we know it today, dates back to the 19th century, when the baker Antonio Mattei refined the recipe in 1858 and made it the standard. His bakery, Biscottificio Antonio Mattei, still exists today in Prato.

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An almost stone-like consistency

The special thing about cantuccini is not just the flavour - a mixture of sweet dough and roasted almonds - but above all their consistency. They are dry, crumbly, almost stone-like. And that is intentional. The traditional recipe calls for the dough to first be baked as a roll, then cut into slices while still warm and baked a second time. This double baking time removes almost all the moisture from the biscuit - and makes it very long-lasting. Originally intended for travellers and soldiers on the move, today it is a trademark for everyone.

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How to soften the biscuits

Cantuccini are not eaten on their own. In Italy, they are traditionally dipped in vin santo, a sweet dessert wine - the liquid softens them just enough so that they retain their bite but don't lead to the dentist. Some prefer espresso or cappuccino to accompany them. Anyone who understands cantuccini understands a piece of Italy - edgy, honest and with a history.

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