Biscotti is a classic little sweet bite to have with your cup of coffee or tea. Let’s learn the history of this Italian biscuit and discover a bakery in Japan, Angelo’s Biscottiera, that’s making high-quality biscotti and biscuits that you can easily purchase online.
Biscotti Explained
Biscotti comes from the Latin word, “biscoctus” meaning twice-baked or twice-cooked. Biscotti, or the singular form biscotto, in Italian means cookies.
There are the less desirable ones that are overly hard that you fear losing your teeth. Or those that when dipped in liquid become a quick, soggy, mushy mess.
And then there are those that taste fresh and crunchy, and at the same time, the cookie holds up and still has a bite after dunking into coffee, tea, or sweet dessert wine.
The History of Biscotti
The first batch of biscotti dates back to the 14th century in Prato, a town in Tuscany, Italy. The twice-baked cookies were mixed with almonds, which were abundant in the region, flour, sugar, and eggs. Today, this type of biscotti is called Biscotti di Prato.
Biscotti’s influence soon spread throughout Europe with creations like the British hardtack and the German zwieback.
Aside from its enjoyable taste, the sturdiness of the twice-baked cookie was perhaps just as appealing. In terms of food science, the second baking draws moisture out of the biscuit making the dry, sturdy cookie less susceptible to mold. This was ideal for storing food and perfect for explorers and sailors on their months-long journeys.
Today, you can find countless variations of the original almond biscotti with ingredients like pistachios, chocolate, and spices in the mix. And while it is delicious on its own, biscotti is best paired with coffee, tea, milk, or a sweet dessert wine like vin santo or muscat.
How the Bakery Was Created
It all started when an Englishman took a trip to Italy and created a lifelong food memory after tasting biscotti in Florence. He then moved to Japan where, as amazing as the food scene is there, he could not find a biscotti like the one he had years ago. The solution: Angelo’s Biscottiera.
Born out of this food memory and the passion to introduce Japanese to authentically delectable biscotti, Angelo’s Biscottiera offers premium biscotti and biscuits that are unlike those you can find in gourmet shops. The difference is all in the taste and texture.
Products
Angelo’s Biscottiera specializes in traditional and rustic biscotti as well as biscuits and mignardises, or little bite-sized sweets.
Rustic Biscotti is a great choice if you are purchasing this for yourself or as a gift to family and friends. These biscotti are standouts because of their perfect texture – the right amount of crunch while still with a pleasant bite. It comes in Almond, the traditional recipe, and also Chocolate, made with 70% cocoa, hazelnut, and orange. If you can’t decide between the two, go with the bag of two flavors.
If you are looking to give a thoughtful gift to a client or someone special, the Gift Box of Gourmet Biscotti is the proper choice because of its sophisticated packaging and variety of flavors including almond, coffee, chocolate, lemon, and fruit & nut. The best part about these biscotti, and the whole range of products, is that they are made with the Japanese palate in mind, in that they are the right amount of sweet without being too sweet.
Aside from classic biscotti, the International Gourmet Biscuits are also worth buying. The Brittany Sable has a delectable buttery crispness, while the Old English Cake has lovely spices that bring the cookie to life.
If you just want a little taste of something sweet and maybe softer in texture, the Mignardises are the perfect little bite whether with a drink or not. For something truly classic Italian, try the Panforte Bites, which is a fruit and nut cake, but in this case, it’s condensed into small, crunchy, soft bites.
Angelo’s Biscottiera is a bakery based in Setagaya, Tokyo with an online shop that is currently delivering its premium products throughout Japan and to the Philippines as well. Shipping time takes a few days and will certainly arrive in less than a week.
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Disclaimer: This article was graciously sponsored by Angelo’s Biscottiera. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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