Soft, delicate, sugary and juicy: the Baba has always been one of the most popular desserts for young and old, as well as one of the symbols of vast Neapolitan gastronomic repertoire. In fact, biting into that soft dough soaked in rum and poetry has always taken us back to the evocative Neapolitan alleys, to its breathtaking views and the warmth of its people. But this wonder, although firmly anchored to the Campania tradition, saw its birth well beyond our own borders. So let's savor the long and intriguing one history of the Neapolitan baba.
From France with love
The story of the baba begins at Luneville, a small town in the north-west of France, a few kilometers from the borders with Belgium and Germany. We are in the middle of the eighteenth century, with the city it housed at the time Stanislaus Leszczinski, Polish king in exile. One of Stanislao's passions was cooking, and there was no shortage of opportunities in developing new dishes and experimenting with foreign specialties.
One day he decided to indulge in a slice of gugelhupf, Austrian dessert with an unpronounceable name. Being toothless, however, the Polish king opted to soften it with del Tokaj, typical Hungarian wine. The result was a moist dessert, with a strong flavor that immediately conquered its creator. Subsequently the recipe was improved with the addition of raisins, candied fruit, saffron and three leavenings. The name of Ali Baba, to pay homage to the protagonist of One thousand and one nights, collection of short stories very dear to the Polish monarch.
Meanwhile Stanislaus's daughter, Maria Leszczynska, marries the king of France Louis XV. And among the many things that are dragged into the transalpine court, the recipe stands out of that dessert created by his father and perfected by the chef Nicolas stohrer. In Paris, royal confectioners replace Tokaji with del Jamaican rum and eliminate candied fruit and saffron. In addition to the ingredients, the shape of this delicacy also changes, with that of the typical mushroom with turzo and capocchia. It is a success! Throughout the kingdom, the sweet depopulated on the tables and in the kitchens of the French nobles. Numerous variants spread throughout the country, such as that a donut without raisins, but with a generous brush of apricot jam. Despite everything, however, there is still no trace of Naples and the Neapolitans.
The baba at the court of the Bourbons
After Louis XV he succeeds the throne of France Louis XVI, husband of Maria Antonietta. The latter had a sister, Maria Carolina of Habsburg, married in 1768 with Ferdinand I of Bourbon. Too complicated weaves? Perhaps, but this serves to illustrate the process that brought numerous dishes and delicacies to the Neapolitan capital. In fact, Maria Carolina, when she moved to Naples, did so by putting her favorite recipes in her suitcase including Kipferl (better known as croissant), the coffee, the potato gateau or that sweet known as Alì babà.
All these dishes of Central European origin thus spread in Kingdom of Naples, taking root in the local culinary culture. Neapolitan cooks and pastry chefs modified the original recipes, adapting them to the typical products and tastes of southern Italy. Between these the addition of cream and sour cherries o strawberries for the Ali baba. The name was soon shortened to simple baba and inserted as typical Neapolitan dessert in the first signed manual of Italian cuisine Vincent Agnoletti.
A long journey then, which saw a dessert born from the Polish genius and perfected in France, becoming a symbol of being Neapolitans, as well as one of the most loved dishes in the world.
