Hi Steemit Food Lovers,

Today i want to show you what is the "Pastiera". Pastiera is an Italian dessert from the province of Naples. It is a cake that is consumed traditionally during the Easter period.

The legend

Legend has it that the mermaid Parthenope, the symbol of the city of Naples, dwelt in the gulf between Posillipo and Vesuvius, and from there, every spring, she emerged to greet people, rejoicing with songs of joy. Once his voice was so melodious and sweet that all the inhabitants remained fascinated, and ran to the sea, moved by the sweetness of the song and the words of love that the siren had dedicated to them and, to thank her, seven of the most beautiful girls from the villages were charged with giving him the gifts of nature; flour, cheese, eggs, wheat grains, orange blossom water, spices and sugar. The mermaid laid the precious offerings at the feet of the gods, the latter united and mixed with the divine arts all the ingredients, thus forming the first Pastiera, exceeding smoothly even the siren's song.

How it's made?

Pastiera is a pastry pie stuffed with a mixture of ricotta, candied fruits, sugar, eggs and wheat grains boiled in milk. The dough is crisp while the interior is supple. The aroma and flavor change according to the spices and aromas used during the preparation. In the classic recipe the flavors used are cinnamon, orange blossom water, orange peel and vanilla. Today, there are many variations of the classic recipe that range from the addition of custard cream in the mix of ingredients to white chocolate in the making of the pastry.

Neapolitan families usually prepare it on Holy Thursday or Good Friday.