Pevarini

Pevarini are ancient, peppery cookies hailing from Venice, where they have been prepared since the 15th century. Once very popular, nowadays they are pretty hard to find. Originally, they were made with pepper, molasses, lard, and flour, but honey and sugar can be used instead of molasses, while the lard is often substituted with butter.

Additional spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or cloves may be used, but pepper remains the most important ingredient. Although it might seem unusual, the use of pepper in ancient, traditional sweets is not that rare – it might have something to do with the medieval authority, St Hildegard, who claimed that pepper is a great cure for melancholy.

Pevarini should be consumed moderately (due to their spiciness, they are considered to be an aphrodisiac!). They pair nicely with full-bodied red wines, or a steaming cup of mulled wine.