Pink and baby blue for baptisms, green for engagements, white for weddings, silver and gold for 25 and 50-year anniversaries of marriages made in heaven, not forgetting red to celebrate a degree… In Italy, there is a special candied almond, also called dragée or confetto, for every joyous occasion. “The tradition is not a new one. The Romans would celebrate births and marriage with bonbons sweetened with honey”, Mario Pelino explains. Soon to be sixty, since 2002, she has been running the company that has supplied confectionery for the happiest days of their lives to Maradona, Pavarotti and even Kate Middleton. “Four years ago, we also began making yellow confetti for happy divorcees!” Round, oval, in the shape of a ring, a pebble or heart, at Pelino, the sugared almonds come in a simply infinite variety of flavours: Traditional with the almond, but also hazelnut, praline, aniseed or coffee, pistachio, chocolate, ginger jam, Amarena cherries, tiramisu… Not forgetting cinnamon, the indulgence of great Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi. To the extent that, when the author of Zibaldone passed away in Naples in 1837, these treats were found on his bedside table. One of these is exhibited at Casa Leopardi, the museum dedicated to the poet in Recanati; another is in the window of Pelino.
The ultimate almonds
Inextricably linked to Pelino, the town of Sulmona did not wait around for ancestor Bernardino to make a name for itself in the confectionery world. During the 15th century, the Poor Clares of the local monastery would make rosaries, flowers and other bouquets based on dragées. An artistic tradition that has continued, and one which, at Pelino, has reached an unparalleled level of creativity. Each sugared almond is wrapped by hand in coloured paper, before it is fashioned into a shell, a sunflower, a mimosa, a grape, or even a church, Batman or a Juventus football player.
In 1783, Bernardino drew up the recipe that sealed the destiny of his descendants. Since then, every generation has striven to make this heritage prosper. New tools, product diversification, optimisation of the production process and development of the brand's reputation in other countries... The eighth generation, now aged between 27 and 32, is highly involved in the family business. How better to ensure succession and maintain the membership of the ultra-select club of the Henokiens, companies characterised by the fact that they are over 50 per cent owned by the founding family and have been around for at least two centuries?
Pelino employs some forty people and produces approximately two tons of sugared almonds per day. During wedding season, from May to July, this figure reaches three tons. The reasons for such astounding success: The delicate coating covering the heart of the bonbon and ingredients of the finest quality. For classic dragées, nothing but the ultimate almonds, those grown in Alvola, which can be recognised by their perfect shape and floral flavour. “The almonds from Pouilles are not regular enough, the ones from California are great to have with beverages.” The manufacturing process takes two days and part of it is still a real craft that is performed traditionally by hand: First you have to blanch the almonds, then dry them in the oven, then immerse them in the first sugar bath, leave them to dry slowly, then immerse them again in a basin... “Almonds sized 38-40, the largest, need special treatment to stop them from cracking. They are turned by hand in the copper cauldrons of my great-grandfather Alfonso.”
Tourist George Clooney
In fact, it was Alfonso Pelino himself who, during the 1890s, relocated the factory from the town centre to its present address, Via Stazione Introdaqua. The building, an impressive construction covering 3,000 m2 in the Liberty and Italian art nouveau style, was registered as an historical monument in 1992. “Six generations of our family have lived here. My grandfather spent his entire life at the factory. So did my father. I was born here, I played with my brothers and cousins in the big garden surrounded by the trees planted by my great grandfather.”
In 1988, the family acquired the neighbouring building and transformed it into a museum that retraces the various steps of dragée production over the centuries. This place, which runs tours in the style of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, enveloped in the sugar-coated aromas of the factory, has quickly become an unmissable stop for passing tourists. Even George Clooney took a detour to admire the reconstruction of an 18th century workshop, and the sixty or so prizes, medals and awards displayed on their walls. But if he wants the recipe he’ll have to try again.
