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EAT BEYOND THE OBVIOUS
Vicenza’s white almond confection, with three centuries of history
Four ingredients, a Christmas tradition and a family confectioner making it since 1918.
For travellers exploring Europe through its regional sweets, Lonigo offers a reason to put Vicenza on the itinerary: a white almond confection whose documented history reaches back to the eighteenth century
Davidbena, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A regional sweet worth knowing
Mandorlato di Lonigo belongs on an itinerary devoted to traditional food in Vicenza. Made from almonds, honey, sugar and egg white, this white nougat has a firm, brittle texture in its classic form, with roasted almonds bound into a sweet honey mixture. Its name comes from mandorla, the Italian word for almond. Lonigo, in the southern part of Vicenza province, shares this confectionery tradition with neighbouring Cologna Veneta, across the provincial boundary in Verona. The local De.Co. record places the two towns within the same historic area of production. For anyone exploring Italy’s regional sweets, Lonigo is the Vicenza address to know. Mandorlato received Lonigo’s De.Co., Denominazione Comunale, recognition as a food identified with the town. Traditionally it belongs to Christmas, although the producer now makes it throughout the year.
How old is mandorlato di Lonigo?
Production is documented from the eighteenth century. The local heritage record also suggests an earlier connection with medieval speziali, the apothecaries who dealt in medicinal preparations and spices. That possible ancestry adds an intriguing chapter to the story, although the surviving evidence does not establish a medieval invention date.
Almonds also have a place in the surrounding landscape. The De.Co. account describes their cultivation on warmer slopes of the Berici Hills and points to local road names such as Mandolara. That history helps explain the region’s affinity with almond confectionery; it does not mean that every almond used today comes from Vicenza.
WHERE TO BUY MANDORLATO DI LONIGO
FOR THE CENTURY OLD FAMILY PRODUCER
Cestaro Mandorlato e Pasticceria
Via Cesare Battisti 21, Lonigo, Vicenza
Phone +39 0444 830041
Angelo Cestaro founded the business in Lonigo in 1918. The company continues to produce mandorlato and sells it through its own online shop, alongside soft nougat and chocolate covered varieties. For a first taste, ask for the classic friable almond mandorlato. The current range includes Il Cestarello, sold as small brittle bites, and Il Tenerello, a softer alternative. Some products are marketed under the name “Mandorlato Cologna”, so use the product description to choose the texture you want
FOR THE CHRISTMAS VERSION OF LONIGO
Natale a Lonigo
Piazza Garibaldi and the historic centre, Lonigo, Vicenza
December to early January
Mandorlato is traditionally a Christmas sweet, and December is the most natural time to combine it with Lonigo’s seasonal programme. Piazza Garibaldi hosts the Christmas village, while concerts and events take place through the historic centre.