Torrone di Cremona – nougat with vanilla and citrus

Torrone, Italy's answer to nougat, is a sweet speciality typical of many Italian regions. In Cremona, Lombardy, however, it takes on a special form, as it includes ingredients such as candied citrus peel, vanilla and lemon zest, which make it even more rich and perfumed.

The origins of this recipe are uncertain, but it is common knowledge that it was someone from Cremona who, in Renaissance times, translated an ancient Middle Eastern recipe into the local idiom, calling it torrone (from torre, which means 'tower') as it reminded him of the tower that to this date dominates the cityscape of Cremona.

Every year, the city celebrates its beloved torrone with a festival that takes over its streets for a few weeks in November.