Parrozzo, the dessert loved by poet Gabriele D'Annunzio

One of the most famous Abruzzo desserts, born in Pescara in the early 1920s from the creativity of pastry chef Luigi D'Amico is parrozzo. The name is inspired by the terms "pane rozzo," (a rustic corn-based loaf that the peasants used to bring to the fields. Corn flour was less valuable and therefore more accessible even to less well-off families). The pastry chef had the idea of ​​adding almonds, butter and sugar to the dough, maintaining the original dome shape typical of the time. The first to taste and appreciate it was the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, who dedicated a composition to the cake called "La Canzone del Parrozzo."

A more modern and equally delicious variant of the dessert is pan dell'orso, a specialty of the namesake Abruzzo pastry shop in the village of Scanno. It was invented by Liborio Di Masso, Angelo's father who is currently at the helm of the business together with his brother, who began marketing it in the 1970s. It is a soft dough made with almonds and honey, covered with chocolate, and called that way because of the legend of the bear: it is said that one autumn day many years ago shepherds, who used to carry a full saddlebag filled with panelli cakes (similar sweets made with honey and almonds), were attacked by a hungry bear, which devoured all the food.