Believed to have been invented in 17th-century France, puff pastry is the base for preparing several traditional desserts in FVG. It is made from layers of dough and butter that have been rolled and folded multiple times (a process known as “laminating”) to create very thin alternating layers. During baking, the water in the butter vaporizes, causing the dough to puff up and separate, resulting in its signature flaky texture. The highly skilled technique involved in preparing puff pastry meant that it was traditionally more prevalent in the sophisticated kitchens of the upper class. The following are three puff pastry desserts that are popular in FVG, one found primarily in and around Cividale del Friuli, another considered native to the capital city of Trieste, and the last being ubiquitous in the region as a whole.
Gubana Cividalese
The name gubana derives from the Slovene word guba, meaning “wrinkle” or “fold.” There are two types: gubana delle Valli del Natisone, which was originally prepared by peasants using a yeast dough, and gubana Cividalese, once the aristocrat’s pastry of choice in the prominent city of Cividale. The latter is made by filling a sheet of puff pastry with dried fruit, nuts, and spices and then rolling the log into a snake-like spiral.
Presnitz
Named after the Slovenian Easter cake called presnec, presnitz was first presented to the Austrian empress Elisabeth during a mid-19th century visit to Trieste. Today, presnitz is practically identical to gubana Cividalese, although it was originally considered to be a more refined pastry due to Trieste’s wealth and the availability of newly imported exotic ingredients.
Strucolo de Pomi
Strudel, or strucolo in the Triestine dialect, is thought to have been inspired by the Turkish pastry baklava. Apples were added to the filling when variations on baklava were integrated into Austro-Hungarian cuisine after periods of Turkish invasion during the 16th century. True Austrian strudel requires a paper-thin dough similar to phyllo. While you will find this type of dough in strudels throughout Friuli, puff pastry is a common substitute in many of Trieste’s bakeries.
Recipes for all three of these desserts may be found in my cookbook Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey through Northeastern Italy.
