Panna cotta facts for kids
Panna cotta with chocolate
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| Type | Pudding |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Piedmont |
| Main ingredients | Cream, sugar, gelatin |
Panna cotta is a delicious Italian dessert. Its name means "cooked cream" in Italian. It is made from sweetened cream that is thickened with gelatin and then shaped in a mold. You can often find it flavored with things like coffee, vanilla, or other yummy tastes.
Contents
The Story of Panna Cotta
The name panna cotta wasn't seen in Italian cookbooks until the 1960s. However, many people say it's a very old dessert from Piedmont, a region in northern Italy.
One story, which isn't fully proven, says that a Hungarian woman invented it. This happened in a place called Langhe in the early 1900s.
Some people think panna cotta might be related to an old dish called latte inglese. This means 'English milk'. An 1879 dictionary described it as cream cooked with gelatin and then molded.
It could also be similar to a French recipe called fromage bavarois. This recipe is much like modern panna cotta. The main difference is that some of the cream was whipped before adding the gelatin.
The Region of Piedmont officially listed panna cotta as a traditional food in 2001. Their recipe includes cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, gelatin, rum, and marsala wine. It's often poured into a mold with caramel. Panna cotta became very popular in the United States in the 1990s.
How Panna Cotta is Made
Making panna cotta starts with dissolving sugar in warm cream. You can add different flavors to the cream. This might be spices, rum, coffee, or vanilla.
Next, gelatin is dissolved in a cold liquid, usually water. This gelatin mixture is then added to the warm cream. The mixture is poured into molds and left to set. Sometimes, caramel is put at the bottom of the molds. This makes it look like a crème caramel when it's served.
Once the panna cotta is solid, it's usually taken out of the mold. It's then placed onto a serving plate. Even though its name means 'cooked cream', the ingredients are only warmed. They are just heated enough to melt the gelatin and sugar.
Serving Panna Cotta
Panna cotta is often served with tasty toppings. These can include a sauce made from berries. You might also find it with a caramel or chocolate sauce. Sometimes, it's topped with other fruits or even liqueurs.
Similar Desserts
There are other desserts that are a bit like panna cotta:
- Bavarian cream is similar. But it usually has eggs and gelatin. It's also mixed with whipped cream before it sets.
- Blancmange is another dessert. It can be thickened with gelatin or a type of gelatin called isinglass. Sometimes it's thickened with starch instead.
- Panna cotta is sometimes called a custard. However, a true custard is thickened using egg yolks, not gelatin.
See also
In Spanish: Panna cotta para niños
