Easter dove: why is it the typical Easter cake?

The holidays are a riot of senses for gourmands, especially in Italy. Our boot is full of typical sweets with different flavors and colors. But for the holidays, the tables of the Italians are approaching: at Christmas the panettone, at Easter the colomba. The Easter Colomba is the delicious leavened cake typical of the Italian tradition.

History of the Easter dove

But why is the dove eaten at Easter?

There are numerous legends and myths that are told about this typical dessert. What is certain is that the dove is a symbol of peace and love in the world. This symbology recalls an episode from Genesis. After the universal flood, it was a dove that carried an olive branch with its beak to Noah, to indicate the end of hostilities between God and his people.

According to a legend, the typical dessert of the Easter tradition originates from an episode linked to the Lombard king Alboin: after having conquered Pavia, he asked for a gift for Easter Day of precious stones and 12 young girls. For the occasion, the court cook created a soft, light and fragrant cake in the shape of a dove to recall the decorations of the cathedral of Pavia. At the first bite, the Lombard king immediately appreciated its goodness, exclaiming that it was necessary to show great respect to the doves and set the girls free. Since then, on Easter day, the dove has been eaten, a symbol of peace and harmony.

What are the best handmade Easter doves produced in Sicily?

Discovering Sicilian artisan Easter doves

The imagination of Italian pastry chefs has given life to many variations of this typical Easter cake. On loveforsicily.com the best artisan and gourmet Easter doves have been selected.

LoveForSicily is the e-commerce site where you can buy a high quality sweet Easter dove, made with the best raw materials, respecting the recipes of the typical Sicilian pastry tradition.

On the LoveForSicily portal, two excellences of the Sicilian territory have been selected that produce the Sicilian colomba with a soft dough, obtained from a slow leavening and the use of genuine ingredients: Di Stefano and Aricchigia. Both companies produce a gourmet and artisanal Easter Colomba, produced with healthy, genuine and top quality ingredients. In short, a dove with an authentically Sicilian taste.

The artisanal Easter doves from Pasticceria Di Stefano

Pasticceria Di Stefano is located in the heart of Sicily, in Raffadali, in the province of Agrigento, and has been making delicious desserts since 1986.

From the Di Stefano pastry shop, LoveForSicily has selected, first of all, the Sicilian Colomba almond, a classic of the Sicilian tradition, whose softness of the dough contrasts with the crunchiness of the particular glaze of highly selected almonds, of homegrown origin. Naturally leavened, it is the result of a simple process, carried out by expert masters of the typical confectionery tradition.

Easter chocolate doves

In the Sicilian chocolate Colomba, the dough embraces the sweetness of Modica chocolate, in a recipe of infinite delicacy. This is one of the most popular doves for those who can't help but choose the best Sicilian chocolates and enjoy them inside the most deliciously greedy doves.

Easter doves with fruit

With an original, exquisite and unforgettable flavor, the Colomba with apple, with very pleasant fresh, light and spring notes. It is the favorite of those who love the sweet and delicate flavor of the best apples. Tasty and irresistibly fragrant specialty with a unique flavor, a pleasant surprise for the eyes and the palate.

The Colomba pear and chocolate is a sweet with a delicate and greedy flavor, with a velvety Modica dark chocolate glaze covered with a soft cloud of dough, with a sweet and velvety character. It is one of the favorite doves for those who love the good and decisive taste of the best chocolates and love to combine them with all the enveloping freshness of the best pears.

The apricot colomba is one of the most sought after colomba by those who love the sweet flavors of seasonal fruit and want to immerse themselves in sweetness. Handmade according to tradition. Its highly digestible dough is so soft that it satisfies even the most demanding palates.

Ciaculli mandarin colomba is a slow food product with a soft and intoxicating mixture that welcomes candied peel of Ciaculli Late Mandarin. An artisanal colomba embellished with pure dark chocolate nuggets. Designed to honor the Easter festival with the explosive richness of Sicilian citrus fruits.

The best Sicilian pistachio artisanal Easter doves: Pasticceria Di Stefano and Aricchigia

Sicily is the custodian of a product known throughout the world: Pistachio, the Sicilian green gold.

LoveForSicily has selected the two best pistachio Easter doves, an inevitable Easter cake on the table of gourmets.

The Sicilian Pistachio Colomba produced by Pasticceria Di Stefano, covered with an exquisite and delicate pistachio-based glaze, is unique for its soft consistency; it is filled with delicious pistachio cream.

The Colomba with pistachio stuffed with pistachio cream produced by the Aricchigia company is produced with natural ingredients, without preservatives, artificial colors and flavors. It is a product of excellence born from the Sicilian farm that has been involved in the cultivation of pistachio for 50 years. It is therefore a Bronte pistachio colomba made exclusively by hand, a true jewel of the highest Sicilian pastry!

We hope with this short article of ours that we have satisfied some more curiosities about the history of the Easter dove and why not, have also given you a little desire to try this typical dessert now inevitable on the tables of Italians.

Where to buy the doves with an authentically Sicilian taste?

The Easter doves selected by LoveForSicily are the true fruit of the excellence of Sicily. In short, with our selected Sicilian doves you will give those you love only the best of the Sicilian pastry tradition. Buy your home made dove!