PASTIERA

Pastiera is a type of Italian cake made with ricotta cheese. It originates from the area of Naples. It is a typical cake of Easter time. It was used during the pagan celebrations of the return of the Spring time. During these celebrations Ceres' priestess brought an egg, symbol of new life in procession. Because of the wheat or the einkorn, mixed with the soft ricotta cheese, it could come from the einkorn bread called "confarreatio", an essential ingredient in the ceremony of the type of ancient Roman weddings named after it "confarreatio". Another hypothesis we may consider is that it comes from ritual bread used during the period of Constantine the Great. They were made of Honey and milk the people offered the catechumen during Easter Eve at the end of the ceremony of baptism The modern pastiera was probably invented in a Neapolitan convent. An unknown nun wanted that cake, symbol of the Resurrection to have the perfume of the flowers of the orange trees which grew in the convent’s gardens. She mixed a handful of wheat to the white ricotta cheese, then she added some eggs, symbol of the new life, some water which had the fragrance of the flowers of the spring time, candied citron and aromatic Asian spices.

1.    Pastiera is a cake

a)    Originates from Rome area

b)    Originates from Naples area

c)    Originates from Celtic celebrations

d)    Originates from Dutch area

2.    Pastiera

a)    Was a ritual bread

b)    Was a poor dish

c)    Was noble dish

d)    Was a clerical dish

3.    Pastiera contains

a)    Only  Italian spices

b)    Also Arab spices

c)    Also Asian species

d)    Also Spanish species