Summer is the season well known for going to the beach, pool, and mostly spending time outdoors. However, since we are for now living in a “social distancing” world, we need to be extra cautious about who we meet and how to interact with people. A great alternative to this antisocial year, is to enjoy life in your own home and… Concentrating on eating…

Hot weather can make us opt for refreshing foods like: ice-cream, frozen yogurt, smoothie, or the king of the summer: watermelon! Well, besides all these very tasty ideas, here it comes another suggestion spelled out in one name: “Semifreddo.”

“Semifreddo” is an Italian that literally means “Semi-frozen.” This is not an ice-cream, and not even a dessert. It is a kind of hybrid placed in half way, and that can be enjoyed for the entire 365 days of the year.

Guess what? After few researches, I discovered that Italy is the “Semifreddo” homeland, of course influenced by many European countries. Let me introduce you some of the best six Italian semifreddo:

#1 PROFITEROLES

In the US are called “Cream puffs.” This rounded shell can be filled with custard, hazelnut, chocolate, or whipped cream. The invention starts around 1540 at Caterina de ‘Medici’s court in Florence. Her trusted chef Popelini created this sublime dough to celebrate the Italian noblewoman wedding to Henry II of France. This special union between Italy and France, originates profiteroles, which will be spread outside the two countries and being widely appreciated around the XVII Century.

#2 TIRAMISU’

This is the coffee lover semifreddo dessert. It is not baked cake made with ladyfingers dipped in a mixture of espresso and liqueur, then layered on a creamy, sweet, and delicious mixture of mascarpone, eggs, and coffee flavor.

 The word Tiramisù comes from the Treviso dialect, “Tireme su”, it literally means “Pick me up”. This semifreddo was originated in the Northern part of Italy, Treviso in 1800. According to few sources, this dessert was invented by a clever “maitresse” of a red-light district in the center of Treviso. Considered as: “Aphrodisiac dessert to offer to customers at the end of the evening in order to reinvigorate their conjugal duties” (https://www.accademiadeltiramisu.com/en/the-origin-of-tiramisu-fact-and-legend/)

#3 DELIZIA AL LIMONE

In English stands for “Lemon delight” and it comes from the main lemon-land based in Sorrento, Napoli. This delicious lemon semifreddo pastry is made of sponge cake immersed by limoncello syrup flavor; then,  filled and covered with lemon cream.

In the pastries you can find the family or single portion; in this last case you can notice the resemblance with a human breast, because it has a semicircular shape with a wild strawberry on top.

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The delizia al limone was conceived back in 1978 by a Sorrento confectioner: Carmine Marzuillo, whom especially for this amazing sweet creation, in 2005 was even awarded of the title “Cavaliere.”

#4 PANNA COTTA

It is “Cooked cream” is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream that can take coffee, vanilla, strawberry, or more exotic flavors, such as kiwi or mango. Opposing, are the origins of panna cotta. Some consider it as a traditional Piemonte dessert made on 1900 for the first time, and cooked by a Hungarian woman from Langhe. On the contrary, North European books, assign panna cotta to be originated in Medieval times. We will probably never know the truth, meanwhile, let’s taste this delicious sweet treat.

#5 AFFOGATO AL CAFFE’

The translation is “Drowned in the coffee flavor”. It is another Italian coffee-based dessert, and it has the form of a scoop of vanilla gelato “Drowned” with a shot of hot espresso. However, there are also alternative versions that include: coconut, cherries, and honeycomb,

#6 VIENNETTA

The Viennetta is our last sweet semifreddo based on vanilla ice-cream and tiny dark chocolate flakes, with a unique wavy shape. Using the technique borrowed by the British Kevin Hillman, this dessert was introduced in 1982 by the historical Italian ice-cream brand “Algida.” It is available in many flavors, such as: chocolate, vanilla, Crème brûlée, choco-nut, eggnog, cappuccino, and tiramisu’.

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Antonia L. Mosca