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]
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[edit] Traditional
The cassata siciliana consists of round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur andlayered 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.
[edit] 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, the layers of cheese can be substituted by layers of gelato (Italian ice cream) with the final product similar to an ice cream cake.
More rarely, some cassata are made similar to a pie, containing a top and bottom crust, filled with ricotta, and baked in the oven. This kind of cassata is also called "Cassata Catanese", as it is often prepared in the Sicilian province of Catania.
[edit] Ice-cream
"Cassata" can also refer to a flavor of ice-cream inspired by the sweet.
