Old World Confectioners in Genova - Pietro Romanengo fu Stefano

Making your way down the cobblestone streets and narrow, dark alleys of the old port of Genova you chance upon an open "piazza" where the old pastry shop of the Romanengo family still operates in all its glory. Set among marble bas relief decorations are glittery glass window displays showing off the wonders of this Old World candy and chocolate factory. This facade that first meets the intrepid adventurer into the old Genova is very much unchanged since the late 1700s when the shop was first founded. In the image above you can see an old print of the store front that adorns the wood boxes containing the confectionery treasures of the Romanengo production. We've attempted to take on the arduous task of introducing over 200 years of the highest confectionery history to the West Coast of the United States, and in these pages hope to give you a glimpse behind the scenes of one of the most fabulous factories of the world still in existence today.

See a video of artisans making candied rose petal and rose syrup at Pietro Romanengo fu Stefano on our movies page.

Genova - Doorway to the World.

The boomerang shaped region of Liguria in the extreme northwest of Italy, also known as the Italian Riviera, has forever played out its existence mostly along the narrow strip of habitable coast backed by steep cliffs and high mountains. The mild weather year round and abundant sea life has made this region one of the wealthiest and most important of Italy, crowned by the important port of Genova and its trading relationships with the rest of the world. Starting with the Riviera dei Fiori (flowers) in the Ponente (western) area of the region, all the way to the tourist destination of Cinque Terre in the east (Levante), Liguria is gifted with a beautiful sea of plenty, some of the best olive oil, wine, herbs (basil), fruits, and vegetables that one can savor in Italy. The regional main dish of Genovese Trofie al pesto might be only a side dish during the June Fish Festival at Camogli in which a gigantic frying pan full of fish is used to continually feed the droves of Festival goers on the port front. From Camogli along the coast to the west are one fishing village after another, peaking at Genova a short distance away, and continuing west toward Sanremo and France beyond. Among the many things traded between Liguria and the rest of the world, the Genoese sailors of the 1800s would bring in the fruits from Malta, Greece, and Asia Minor that the Romanengo family would candy into exquisite delicacies enjoyed by the likes of Dukes and Duchesses, king Vittorio Emanuele II, and Giuseppe Verdi whose letters on the Romanengo factory are kept at La Scala museum. The candied whole fruits of the time are made very much in the same way today, except that they come from the select varieties of the Romanengo orchards. Steeped in history as it is, the Romanengo factory has held true to its traditions and techniques of processing confectionery, using the same old equipment as 200 years ago, and never industrializing its operation. As though to underscore this fact, the logo still used today of the dove and olive branch was designed by Pietro Romanengo as a symbol of peace in the wake of the Napoleonic wars.

Candied Fruit - Candied Flower Petals

Fresh, fully ripe fruit is coated in sugar and glucose syrup to preserve its original colors and flavors. Here we see the ancient vats of syrup with floating fruit that undergoes candying for days or weeks.

 

Rose petals and violets are prepared for processing. Fresh, ripe fruit and petals are used to make jams and syrups, but also whole candied petals. Scrupulous care in the preserving process of fruits and petals without the use of preservatives or coloring makes these products exquisite. Some of the fruits and petals Romanengo candies include apricot, quince, strawberry, rose petal preserve, manna preserve, orange flower water, rose syrup, and chestnut cream.

 

 

Roseoil Drops - A Magical Gustatory Experience

One of the most special products that we can experience today from the Romanengo factory are the Roseoil drops: colorful drops of crystal sugar that will pop in your mouth yielding a sweet syrup with the taste of roses, bitter peach, anice, curacao, Marasca cherry, lemon, and Certosino. This fun and delightful treat gets its origin from a southern Italian hostess custom of offering guests the colorful, home made liqueurs called ROSOLIO. In the southern Italian region of Puglia, the peasant women would prepare for their guests bottles of liqueur brightly colored with ruby red spices, intensely green mint, bright yellow lemon, or dark brown coffee. Romanengo has gleaned their Roseoil drops from this ancient Italian tradition and have excluded the alcohol. Using the ancient starch mould visible to the right, and pipetting the sugar containing the petals, fruits, or essences into each small hole is the start of the process of obtaining the Roseoil drops. In contact with the starch, the sugar forms a crust that contains the liquid roseoil inside, and the final result is visible below.

 

 

Chocolate, Confetti, Torrone, Fondants, and more....

The Romanengo factory still today produces a vast array of amazing and unique products unparalleled by none. Timeless specialties such as the Bridal Confetti made from the select almonds of Avola in Sicily made all the more special by the production in ancient vats that have absorbed the flavors of centuries of use (visible in the background, photo above). Or the jellyes and fondants made into special shapes for Easter, the torrone for Christmas, and the chocolate Easter eggs choc full of an array of all of the above. Or the Almond milk and other syrups that are steeped in Italian tradition.

 

Worthy of mention are the Fondants, a quintessential artisan sugared specialty that is impossible to mass produce. The complex process of making Fondants lies in the boiling of sugar at different temperatures for each product. Varying quantities of liquid sugar are added to the mix during the boiling process, producing sweets with different consistencies. The final product is an array of rectangular white sugar cubes that melt in your mouth like cream. The real fruits used by Romamengo in making fondants include strawberry, mint, orange, clementine tangerines, apricot, raspberry, lemon, banana, pear, chocolate, and anice.

The Old Chocolate Mill

One of our favorite parts of a visit to the Romanengo factory is the old chocolate mill, that is today powered electrically, but that we can only imagine being turned by a horse during its early days of use. It looks very much like an old Italian cement mixer with its two large granite wheels that turn in the tub. The Romanengo chocolate is made using exclusively cocoa, cocoa butter, and sugar. No soy lecithin or additives. They make dark chocolate bars containing 62% cocoa, and milk chocolate, all wrapped in this awe inspiring old world paper with ancient calligraphy adorning the outside. The most remarkable thing about this special chocolate is how it is made, just like 200 years ago, by placing the mix inside the old mill that turns non stop and "beats" the chocolate for three days and three nights. The heavy granite wheels bring out a wonderful aroma in the chocolate.

 

When visiting Liguria, don't miss a chance to go to the Old Port of Genova with a stop at the Romanengo pastry shop located in Via Soziglia, with its precious hard wood furnishings and attentive personnel. Bringing away with you any of their stupendous products is like taking with you a bit of the Old World. A visit to the factory may be one of your most unforgettable experiences. Find Romanengo products listed below and shipped to you from our warehouse in San Francisco.