The Christmas holidays have always been associated with the unmistakable scent of panettone, a dessert that embodies Italian tradition and artisanal excellence. But is this product always of high standard and quality? The answer is no, at least according to the recent ones tasting conducted by Gambero Rosso on 127 artisanal panettoni, which highlighted a few too many defects.
The strictly blind tasting of the panettone involved four panels of experts, who evaluated the desserts based on various parameters: visual appearance, olfactory and gustatory analysis. Details such as leavening, consistency, aromatic persistence and, above all, the quality of the fruit were taken into consideration.
The final results rewarded the panettoni who were able to combine impeccable technique with the search for excellent ingredients, confirming that, despite the difficulties, quality craftsmanship is still possible.
But what were the problems encountered in many artisanal panettoni?
The quality of the raw materials leaves something to be desired
Expectations were high, but the reality turned out to be very different. One fact that emerges clearly is the decline in the quality of the main ingredients, as candied fruit and raisins. The samples tasted revealed candied fruits with a soft consistency and a lack of aroma and juiciness, so much so that in some cases they seemed “boiled”. The raisins, in turn, showed excessive acidity, which compromised the flavor balance.
Also the butter it’s not what it used to be. The quality of this key ingredient often falls short of expectations, with obvious signs of rancidity resulting in dairy notes in the final product.
All signs of a general decline in attention to raw materials, which inevitably reflects on the taste of panettone.
A surge in prices (which is not followed by quality)
The raw materials crisis has had a direct impact on production costs, with significant increases, such as +140% for raisins and 83% for butter. However, the quality of the final product does not seem to have improved and although artisanal panettone is increasingly expensive, the quality in some cases does not justify the high price.
The scarcity of some ingredients, combined with the difficulties resulting from climate change and rising costs, is putting producers in serious difficulty, forcing many to compromise on quality.
It seems clear that artisanal panettone is also facing a period of great difficulty. It must be said, however, that there are producers who manage to maintain a high level of their leavened products, demonstrating that excellence is still possible.
You can read the ranking of the best artisanal panettone drawn up by Gambero Rosso: These are the 10 best artisan panettone of 2024, according to Gambero Rosso
