The prize for originality but also for audacity for the Christmas and New Year's Eve desserts of 2024 undoubtedly goes to a pastry chef from Salerno, Domenico Manfredi, owner of the D'Elia pastry shop in a small village in Teggiano del Vallo di Diano.
Manfredi, who inherited the trade from his mother when sweets were still made in a wood-fired oven, has developed over the years a strong passion for the white art to the point of establishing his pastry shop as an undisputed point of reference for high-quality products. And this year, in view of Christmas, in addition to his classic panettone, appreciated by a vast clientele, he thought it a good idea to take inspiration from Gaetano Pesce's Pulcinella, the work in which the great Ligurian artist, who passed away a year ago, summed up his great love for Naples: a reinterpretation of Pulcinella's costume, leaning on a 12-meter-high vertical structure, which has appeared to everyone, since its installation, very similar to the figure of an erect phallus, arousing heated reactions in the city, and not only, including scandal, irritation, amusement and humor.
So even his panettone is a “phallic” tribute to Naples, entitled “Passione Nata” (Born Passion), a full 38 centimeters tall. Manfredi, who won first prize for this dessert at the 2024 World Championship of the International Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate for the innovative panettone category, had to design a special aluminum mold, innovative in materials, and had to develop a revolutionary dough and baking technique to ensure his panettone cooks evenly and has a soft dough. And the dough is also new: the pastry chef from Teggiano has combined passion fruit with milk chocolate, creating an unusual balance between acidity and sweetness.
And so that there was no misunderstanding about his inspiration, he presented it in a package in which he wears the stylised clothes of Pulcinella.
Manfredi beat out 250 competitors from around the world, winning the title thanks to his technique, audacity and a touch of irony that made the judges smile.
