The Rome IndexRoman sweets & pastries
Maritozzi, crostate and the sweet side of Roman food culture.
Maritozzo
A brioche bun split and filled with an extravagant quantity of softly whipped cream — a Roman breakfast tradition that has recently become fashionable far beyond Lazio. Best eaten standing at a good pastry bar in the morning, before the cream has had time to deflate.
Crostata
A baked tart with a shortcrust pastry base and jam filling — visciole (sour cherry) is the most traditional Roman variant, particularly in the Jewish Ghetto where ricotta e visciole tart (ricotta and sour cherry) is a seasonal speciality.
Castagnole and frappe
Carnival sweets eaten in February and March — castagnole are small fried dough balls dusted with sugar; frappe (or chiacchiere in other regions) are thin, crisp fried pastry ribbons. Seasonal, cheap, and found in almost every bar and bakery during the Carnevale period.