Others claim that the name panettone derives from “ el pan de Toni” in honor of a cook who, to delight, some Milanese nobles who gathered for Christmas dinner, invented this traditional dessert using the ingredients of his pantry. History and legend are linked around the panettone, but what really matters is that, like many icons of Italian food, this one too is deeply rooted in the culture and tradition of our fascinating Country. Italian Panettone: The Numbers Abroad The Italians have traditional cakes for each of their major holidays. Colomba cake is the one that every Italian family eats for Easter. In terms of texture and ingredients, it is actually quite similar to panettone. The biggest difference between the two Italian cakes is the shape: colomba cakes are shaped like doves, to represent Jesus (or for the less religious, love and peace). These Easter cakes are also usually topped with almonds and sugar sprinkles. Many of the same brands mentioned before that produce panettone and pandoro cakes also make colomba. BE: “This looks better than the picture on the box, which is rare. It feels dense, and the texture of the cream inside is just odd and way too sweet. The bread doesn’t have enough orange in it for a chocolate-orange panettone, either.” Score 4/10 EK: “It’s quite dry and the least rich dough we’ve tried. The filling is better than Aldi’s but it’s still too sweet – all you’re left with at the end is an artificial taste. It needs some citrus peel to balance things out.” Score 5/10 We ranked the panettone brands by following the preferences of Bell Italia customers. We would like to remind our readers that it is possible to consult the constantly updated gallery to view a selection of the goods that we prepare daily for the most disparate destinations … best panettone included, of course.

EK: “It looks nice, and there’s the classic mix of candied peel and raisins. It’s not the most flavourful dough, but the texture is good. I like the hazelnut crust on top and there isn’t too much of it – but I think it’s not strong enough in flavour to call it hazelnut.” Score 8/10 Are you abroad and want to know what is the best panettone to try for a truly Italian Christmas? Then keep reading this article! The Christmas holidays are almost upon us and wholesalers, retailers, importers, and restaurateurs from all over the world are taking action not to miss the dessert par excellence of this period: panettone. Symbol of history, tradition, and made-in-Italy quality, panettone today is known and appreciated all over the world; the credit goes to the Italian communities abroad that have exported the tradition of consuming the typical Christmas cake. But it also goes to the companies producing our country’s best panettone brands, which are able to win over consumers on every continent with the quality and authenticity of their products. What is panettone and what is its almost mythological historyBE: “I want a tall panettone, which this is, but it’s just too sweet and it needs something else going on in this bread. I think chocolate panettone is for people who don’t like panettone.” Score 4.5/10 BE: “Appearance-wise it’s not giving a lot. Oh gosh, what’s this? Coffee cream! The cream is odd; it tastes like fake, diluted coffee and the texture coats your tongue. No, don’t buy this. I’m not even getting tiramisu – you’d be better off buying a tiramisu, buying a panettone, and enjoying them separately.” Score 1/10

EK: “This is a pretty good, very classic panettone. It’s fruit heavy but it needs more citrus; there’s enough peel, but it’s missing the citrus oil. It’s very similar to the Tesco panettone, but it’s better and cheaper.” Score 7.5/10 EK: “This looks like a giant doughnut; I’m worried about the crust and texture of that cream inside, which stinks. Oh, I don’t like the filling, and the bread tastes artificial. If it didn’t have that weird cream and had some peel, it would be miles better.” Score 4/10 BE: “This isn’t panettone; we’ve gone too far over the line. There’s none of that classic panettone flavour (apart from the peel) to redeem it, and it’s all sugar. It does look playful and fun, though, so it could be good for kids.” Score 3.5/10BE: “This looks pleasing; the wrapper is decorative, you can see all the fruit coming through, and it’s got good height. The sweetness level is good, but I’m not getting any prosecco. I like the texture, and I could eat more than one slice of this – but you have to lose marks because I’m not tasting booze.” Score 7/10 BE: “I agree, this is very similar – and better – than the Tesco panettone. There’s more peel, and it’s not as sweet, which I appreciate.” Score 7/10