Visiting Italy?Just spend a couple of days in Genoa to discover that here there is an ice cream (oops! a semifreddo) unique in the world impossible to resist: Panera!
The name “Panera” comes from the contraction of the words “panna” (cream) and “nera” (black) because Panera is actually a coffee-stained whipped cream. And indeed the taste is just that: of latte macchiato, something less than cappuccino.
Be careful, it’s not a coffee ice cream!
It’s light, fluffy. The real, traditional one, which is sold in the best ice cream shops in the city, has no eggs inside. Just whipped cream, coffee and sugar.
Today the recipe is also listed at the Ministry of Agriculture as a typical product of Liguria (although produced only in Genoa).
It has the same taste everywhere then. Wrong! Every gelato shop has its own recipe (secret) and the result I swear is always different.
Some place make it more full-bodied, some more sweetened, some with a more intense taste of coffee. In short, each gelateria is a different experience. For this reason I suggest to the most greedy in a summer afternoon to take a “Panera tour” to discover the one they like best.
I already have clear ideas: my favorite is that of Cremeria Buonafede, in Via Luccoli, the heart of the historic center of Genoa. It is a historic Genoese workshop (dating back to 1913 ) that of the real Panera – whose recipe is handed down from 4 generations – has made its flagship https://www.cremeriabuonafede.it/i-nostri-gusti/
The history of Panera
The origins of Panera seem to date back to the early 19th century. It is said, between myth and legend, that it was born by chance: a careless waiter stumbling poured some coffee on a cup of whipped cream, and from then the brilliant invention was born.
Traces of the famous cream and coffee semifreddo can already be found in the ancient cookbook “La Vera Cuciniera Genovese” by Emanuele Rossi published in 1862.
Moreover, some argue that the invention of the “black cream” is attributable to the ice cream shop ” Gelateria Amedeo” in Boccadasse, which would have invented it in 1927 and from there this semifreddo would have spread in the other Genoese ice cream shop.
While the local sweets producer Preti says that it was the genius of its founder, Giovanni Preti- when the sweets factory was still only a renowned pastry shop in the center of the – to invent the “Gelato alla Panera”.
As it happens with all recipes that become traditional dishes, we will never know the truth!
Before jumping to the panera recipes (with or without ice cream maker) you have to know that I’ve visited some of my favorite gelato shops (including Buonafede) in one of the episodes of my Flavors of Genoa series, on youtube.
Here I will let you discover some other really unexpected gelato flavors very traditional of my city.
Genoa has lot of food secrets to discover!
You can watch the video on Youtube as well.
Recipe for making Panera at home.
If you own an ice cream maker, you can recreate at home Panera semifreddo like the one you can find in Genoese ice cream parlors. This is the recipe a friend kindly gave me:
Ingredients
- 1 litre of fresh cream to be whipped
- 2 two cups of strong coffee
- 2 ounces of sugar
Procedure
Pour the cream in a saucepan and add the coffee. When it starts to boil add the sugar and let it melt stirring. Remove from the fire.
When the mixture is cold pour it into the ice cream maker and proceed as usual to make ice cream.
Once ready, pour the mixture into a sorbet and let it cool to obtain a semifreddo with a creamy consistency.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker at home, like me, don’t despair! I have a recipe to prepare a coffee semifreddo that, although not strictly adherent to tradition because it involves the use of eggs, is incredibly good and the result from the point of view of taste is very close to that of the real Genoese Panera.
It’s the recipe inherited from Margherita, the mother of my best friend during elementary school. I spent whole afternoons at their house and in the freezer a tile of Panera for snack was never missing. I remember that we always ate it sitting on the kitchen table (never on the chairs) because this made us feel older. Margherita also put a handful of chopped walnut kernels in her Panera. Yes, I know, they are not traditional, it is a culinary license, but it is a perfect addition because it gives crunchiness and that thrill of the unexpected in your mouth!
It’s a recipe that brings with it many carefree memories and I’m really happy to share it here.
Panera: the traditional Genoa coffee semifreddo
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (70 ml) espresso or strong coffee
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (100 g) walnut kernels (optional)
Instructions
- Line a quart bread pan with plastic wrap and let the wrap come out the edges so you can easily take out the ice cream once ready.
- Mix the coffee egg yolks in a bowl.
- In another bowl whip the egg whites and sugar together until you obtain a thick foamy meringue.
- In a third bowl whip the cream until firm. Fold in the expresso-egg mixture gently stirring from below upwards. Fold in the meringue, always very gently. Chop roughly walnuts kernels and add to the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the lined pan and freeze for about 6 hours.
- Decorate your Panera semifreddo with other walnuts kernels or coffee beans or shaved chocolate.
Where to taste Gelato in Genoa?
If you’re in Genoa, there are still a few places where panera is made with care, following a tradition that hasn’t changed much over time.
Gelateria Profumo,
A historic gelateria in the city center, known for its traditional flavors. Their panera is smooth, balanced, and deeply aromatic.
Cremeria Buonafede,
One of the ancient places selling panera, with great attention to ingredients and texture. Their version is rich, creamy, and very satisfying.
These are just a couple of places to start.
In my Genoa Food Guide, you’ll find a much broader selection of gelaterie, along with practical tips on what to try.
Finally, if the above video made you want to taste Genoa beyond the screen, you can do it for real.
You can join me on a Genoa food tour through historic shops, bakeries, and markets, discovering the city through its flavors, step by step.
Buon appetito!
