Campania pastry chefs transform childhood candies into gourmet desserts

Pastry chefs in the Campania region of Italy are reimagining traditional childhood candies as sophisticated restaurant desserts. This culinary trend, inspired by the “Madeleine effect” where flavors evoke deep-seated memories, is being implemented in locations ranging from Agerola on the Amalfi Coast to Sorrento.

In Agerola, pastry chef Angelo Guarino of La Corte degli Dei has created a mousse based on the Rossana candy, featuring a passion fruit center. In Sorrento, Ferdinando De Simone of Lorelei has developed a dessert called “Srotola,” which utilizes Calabrian licorice to recreate the ritual of eating traditional licorice wheels.

The concept aligns with research from Unione Italiana Food, which indicates that 95% of the adult population regularly consumes candy, with 61% reporting a preference for specific flavors often associated with their childhood.