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Published on September 26, 2007

While biscotti have been available at Starbucks for almost 10 years, a surprisingly small number of customers are aware that these hard, crunchy cookies are Italian in origin and are as popular today as they were thousands of years ago.

Biscotti is a general Italian term that basically means cookies which have been baked twice. Traditionally, biscotti are made by baking cookie dough in two long slabs, cutting these into slices, and then reheating them to dry them out. The purpose of this baked twice process was to allow them to be stored for long periods, making them durable for long journeys - it is said that Ancient Roman Pliny boasted they would edible for centuries.

Today, the cookie can be enjoyed with any of your favourite beverages and even with salad, parma ham or cheese, according to Enzo Peroni, owner of the Italian restaurant Cafe Buongiorno, and producer of the biscotti widely sold in Starbucks branches countrywide.

Sweet biscotti, for instance, flavoured with chocolate chip, almond and lemon and chocolate and almond, are recommended for dipping in espresso, cappuccino and even in latte frappe or ice cream. Not only is the biscotto softened by the dunking, but it also adds a sweetness that truly complement your drink.

More on the list are pistachio and raisin, coconut almond and chocolate and orange, but the best seller in Starbucks branches is almond and lemon.

These homemade products are cut by hand, one-by-one everyday. The inspiration for Buongiorno comes from centuries of tradition and from the Celleno, Peroni, Scarino, Mattei, Panetta and Logan families, all of whom take great pride in the land that belonged to their grandfathers and great-grandfathers. That pride comes from producing the best wines, the creamiest milk and the best quality oil and grain.

Each biscotto produced by Cafe Buongiorno has its own story, with recipes donated by family members. The almond and lemon biscotti is also known as Flora, and was named after Flora Peroni by her grandmother Nonna Piccolo to celebrate her birth in July 1953.

There is also a range of savoury biscotti, which can be tasted at the Cafe Buongiorno restaurant in Sukhumvit 33 rather than at Starbucks. These are flavoured with mixed herbs, red chilli, black peppers or red wine.

The savoury biscotti require more sophisticated pairings. The black pepper biscotto is smooth with a slice of parma ham and a bite of melon. One might enjoy it with cheese and a drop of honey although Italian diners love it as an appetiser together with a glass of a wine and an Italian tune.

For more details and reservations, call the restaurant at (02) 662 3766-8.

Juthamas Cholthavornpong

 The Nation