Pasticciotto: Lecce's Typical Pastry That Is Perfect For A Lazy Italian Breakfast

Breakfasts in Italy tend to be simple affairs and mostly comprise of grabbing a cappuccino and a pastry. While on holidays in Italy, there could be nothing better than getting your hands on some fragrant coffee and a fresh pastry, sitting outside an amazing cafe, and taking a leisurely breakfast while enjoying your new surroundings. That's how to best start off any day holidaying in Italy.

If you have found a vacation rental in Lecce, there is one pastry that you should keep in mind and make sure to sample during your stay. That is the pasticciotto: a golden brown flaky shortcrust pastry with a creamy vanilla speckled centre. There are also variations on the original that can have chocolate cream, pistachio cream and more but the OG is a must for first-timers.

The pasticciotto is said to have been born in 1745, at the hands of Andrea Ascalone, who ran a local family-owned pastry shop in the town of Galatina near Lecce. One day, with batter and cream left over from a cake he had made that he did not want to waste, he decided to make a tiny cake, the ancestor of the modern-day pasticciotto. A customer tired it and wanted more to bring back to his family and Andrea quickly had an unexpected hit on his hands. He named it a “pasticcio” or “mishap,” and it eventually came to be called a pasticciotto.

Today, it can be found in pastry shops, bakeries and cafes all over Lecce and there are regional varieties further afield. It remains incredibly popular and is a breakfast mainstay. If you are spending time in the region, it should definitely feature on your foodie itinerary and bucket list.