Gorgeously, sticky, Italian pastries. It used to elude me how the locals managed to stay clean while I always had sticky fingers after eating … until one day
On Sardinia, and most of mainland Italy too I can imagine, sweet, sticky pastries are a part of the diet for most people. This is the normal morning staple from what I have seen. But also throughout the day with the morning or afternoon cappuccino. And of course this tradition was easily adopted with my customary cup of tea.
These pastries are made with flaky pastry and commonly filled with jam, cream or even chocolate.
Always the sticky one
After having tucked into a few pastries myself, I started to wonder how these people can eat these things and still not get sticky stuff or jam all over their hands, or indeed themselves.
Nobody else but me seemed to be in need of a hand wash after a pastry. I was beginning to feel a little less than civilised always having sticky fingers and making a bit of a mess after eating a pastry. Even though I do not consider myself a messy eater.
Even after months on Sardinia and numerous pastries I still have sticky fingers after eating one of those, while my Italian friends seem to be as clean as before they started.
I can still remember with horror my first visit to Sardinia and I was taken to Cagliari for a tour of the capital. Of course this included a morning stop at a lovely, outdoor cafe where they had big, jam filled croissants. The tables were rather small, so it was not possible to eat over the table. I enjoyed this pastry immensely until …SLPAT! a big blob of yellow, sticky jam fell on Sardinian man’s freshly washed jeans. Oh dear! Messy Scandinavian feeling a bit unrefined!
the lightbulb moment
Then one afternoon many months later I had a revelation. I was visiting a cafe and at the table next to me was a mum and her little girl. Maybe around 4 years old. First she had a cup of sticky, hot chocolate. This she drank very carefully, taking little sips, using both hands to hold the cup.
Sitting at the very edge of her seat so the cup was held safely over the table, not spilling a drop. When she finished she took her napkin and vigorously wiped her little mouth, rubbing really well. So well in fact, I worried she’d get a sore mouth.
After she reached out and took a new napkin from the dispenser and wrapped it carefully and accurately around the end of a sugary pastry and carefully ate it. Keeping her fingers on the napkin part of the pastry at all times. Still sitting on the edge of her seat so that if anything were to fall down it would land on the table and not on somebody’s legs. I was impressed! And it dawned on me that I had the answer to my query.
So this is how they do it! They are all trained from an early age to eat sticky stuff! Carefully, with the aid and clever use of napkins!
in rome do as the romans?
It also occurred to me that in this context I don’t think I will do the customary ‘in Rome do as the Romans’. I will eat those gooey, sticky pastries as I please and just blame it on ‘being a Scandinavian who grew up eating dry wholemeal bread 3 times a day’. Never learnt the trick of eating jam filled croissants.
Because you see, sometimes, half the pleasure of eating those croissants is to eat from both ends at the same time until you have mostly filing left – and that IS sticky business!
Lots of love,
Bee