To Commemorate "Panettone," a Traditional Italian Pastry December 1 was designated as "Panettone Day" in Japan.

The Japan Panettone Association (hereafter referred to as "Japan Panettone Association") has officially registered December 1 as "Panettone Day" to commemorate "Panettone", a Christmas cake originated in Milan, Lombardy, Northern Italy, and has been certified by the Japan Anniversary Association as a day of commemoration in Japan. The day has been officially designated as "Panettone Day" in Japan by the Japan Anniversary Association.

The establishment of "Panettone Day" was based on the advice of Maestro Iginio Massari, a master of panettone who leads the Italian confectionery industry, and the date was set as December 1.

■Background of the registration of the anniversary

The Japan Panettone Association has been working to support the improvement of the skills of artisans who make panettone, a traditional Italian confectionery, as well as to pass on culture and promote international exchange. The panettone made by artisans based on Italian methods is known as "artisan panettone" and its value is being promoted. Panettone production is said to be the most difficult pastry in the world in Italy, using Lievito Madre (home cultivated yeast), using no additives, and taking at least three days to bake. The Japan Panettone Association hopes to make December 1 "Panettone Day" as a "special day" to convey the charm of panettone from the panettone maker's side, and to provide an opportunity for people to pick up a panettone. We have established December 1 as "Panettone Day" with the advice of Mr. Iginio Massari, a master of panettone who is a leader in the Italian pastry industry.

Why December 1?

In Italy, panettone sales start in earnest around December 1, coinciding with Advent (*), and the excitement builds toward Christmas. (Advento is an indeterminate date each year.)

People wait for Christmas, eating a little panettone every day. They eat many panettone before Christmas and eat their most favorite panettone with their beloved family on December 25.

That is the traditional Christmas scene in Italy.

(*)Advent is the period from the Sunday four weeks before December 25th to Christmas Eve, also known as "Advent" (待降節).

Message on the occasion of the anniversary

Maestro Iginio Massari

Mr. Iginio Massari, a master of the Italian panettone world

President of Ambasciatori Pasticceri Eccellenza italiana (APEI)

Dear Japanese people and panettone lovers, December 1 is "Panettone Day!

Panettone is a traditional Italian dessert.

According to the first historical archives, panettone was depicted in a painting by the famous Dutch painter Pieter Bruegel around 1500.

Panettone has many messages and many meanings belonging to Italian culture.

(*Referring to the candied fruit kneaded into the panettone).

In the past, giving a panettone as a gift meant "good luck, good health and long life, and wishes for eternity. These messages were as follows

Sultana raisins mean "golden fortune".

Orange peel or candied orange peel means "love".

Candied chedros (citrons) mean "health and eternity.

These messages are the most beautiful wishes one can receive.

Currently in Italy, there are specifications regarding the production of "traditional Milanese panettone" that must be observed by law.

There are strict rules for production and minimum quantities of materials that must be adhered to.

No additional materials can be added to the production process. We, as panettone makers, must comply with the stated laws.

Therefore, making a panettone is a very significant event, and it is very important to give a panettone as a gift to family and friends.

I pray that the panettone will be with you (Japanese) forever!"

I wish you a wonderful Christmas with Panettone this year.

Mr. Fausto Morabito

Founder of Panettone senza confini

Ambasciatori Pasticceri Eccellenza italiana(APEI)]

I am very pleased that Panettone senza confini "Panettone without borders" combines two very important cultures: Italian and Japanese.

We are very happy that Panettone, the most famous Italian dessert in the world, has become a "bridge" between Italy and Japan, bringing Italy and Japan together.

It is a great pleasure to have a part of Italian culture become a part of Japanese culture.

Panettone is a unique and special dessert made with "lievito madre" (home grown yeast), which is the raw material for Panettone. It is wonderful that Italians and Japanese can communicate and build a special relationship with panettone.

I would love to see one day in Japan what the Japanese have learned from the Italian culture and the panettone tradition. I would also like to see how the Japanese can evolve the Italian panettone culture while respecting the panettone tradition. Maybe they will make the traditional Italian panettone into a "Japanese" style.

I hope that Panettone senza confini "Panettone without borders" and Maestro Isinio Massari, together with "Panettone Day" in Japan, will help popularize panettone in Japan and pass on the culture.

Left: Mr. Fausto Morabito, Right: Mr. Iginio Massari

Maestro Claudio Gatti

Chairman of Accademia Maestri del Lievito Madre e del Panettone Italiano

We are truly honored that the great fermented product "Panettone", which represents our tradition, is being specially celebrated in Japan as "Panettone Day".

This is not only a source of pride for us, but also something that we, as panettone artisans, strive for every day.

It is important for us to share it with you, so that "Panettone" can continue to grow and evolve, transcending countries and penetrating the entire world.

The great Lievito Madre (autochthonous yeast), which is essential for the production of panettone, has a local character, and it is innovation that makes it possible for it to be used in the production of panettone.

We at Accademia dei Maestri del Lievito Madre e del Panettone Italiano are proud to offer our wines in all seasons of the year, Every day we work towards the important goal of promoting fermented products made with Lievito Madre (autochthonous yeast strains) to consumers. We hope that "Panettone Day" will help popularize panettone in Japan.

Maestro Claudio Gatti

Maestro Giuseppe Piffaretti

President of Coppa del mondo del Panettone

We are truly honored that "Panettone Day" has been established in Japan to commemorate the wonderful dessert "Panettone", which is one of the most iconic Italian desserts that attracts people from all over the world.

We are very pleased to be working with the Japan Panettone Association to host a preliminary selection in February 2024 for panettone artisans from all over Japan who have applied. The person selected in this selection will represent Japan in the finals to determine the best panettone in the world in Milan in 2024.

This wonderful anniversary may possibly be an opportunity to host the next selection round.

Mr. Maestro Giuseppe Pifaretti

Piatto Suzuki Owner Chef Yahei Suzuki

Congratulations on the establishment of "Panettone Day" on December 1.

I have been making panettone for almost 30 years now. Looking back, I made the mistake of thinking that it would be easy to make panettone after learning it from the Italian panettone master Isinio Massari, but I was completely immersed in the process. I have been immersed in it for 30 years, and in that time, the panettone itself has changed with the times, and I have been researching day by day to keep up with the changes.

I would like to share the deliciousness of panettone with everyone, and I would like to use this December 1 "Panettone Day" as an opportunity to make it better known to everyone.

About the "Panettone Day" Campaign

On December 1 (limited), those who purchase a panettone (whole) at a store of "panettone artisans" who make panettone based on Italian production methods will receive an original tote bag from the association.

Participating stores:

【Gunma】

Vanderlust

5-30 Nishihonmachi, Ota-shi, Gunma

【Tokyo】 

Pistolina Dio

1F Takagi Bldg. 1-15-20 Ojihoncho, Kita-ku, Tokyo

The Mandarin Oriental Gourmet Shop (Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo)

1-1-1, Nihonbashi-Muromachi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

【Kanagawa】

CALVA

1F Emile Building, 1-12-18 Ofuna, Kamakura, Kanagawa (limited campaign)

【Tokai Panettone Club】

Boulangerie Yanagawa (Aichi)

3-14-3 Kiyosu, Kiyosu-shi, Aichi

Boulangerie Avec(Aichi)

47 Gokita, Koshinakajima, Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Boulangerie Grand Homme (Toyama)

38-1 Moriyama-cho, Takaoka-shi, Toyama

BOTTIGA DEL PARNE (Aichi)

　183 Shimoshibakiri, Kanie-Shinden, Kanie-cho, Kaifu-gun, Aichi, Japan

【Fukui】

L’ESSENTIEL

3-3107 Kida, Fukui-shi, Fukui

【Osaka】

Panetteria Ottimo Massimo

1-29-12 Nagado, Higashiosaka-shi, Osaka

【Kagoshima】

TAK BAGERI CAFE

4-20-1 Takeoka, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture

The Mandarin Oriental, Gourmet Restaurant, The Mandarin Oriental, Osaka, Japan

The Mandarin Oriental Gourmet Shop (Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo)

2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Opening hours: 11:00-19:00

(1)Panettone Classico

(2)Panettone Mediterranean Sea and Setouchi Lemon

(3)Panettone Gianduja

Each panettone 770 yen (tax included)

The above three types of panettone will be served in the restaurant on December 1 only. Normally, there is only one kind of panettone per day.

Panettone Classico

Panettone Mediterranean and Setouchi Lemon

Panettone Gianduja

Piatto Suzuki Hasebeya Bldg. 4F, 1-7-7 Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo

There will be a special "Panettone Day" menu on the dessert menu after your meal, available only on December 1. (*Dessert only is not available)

Menu image

What is Panettone?

A traditional Christmas cake originated in Milan, Lombardy, Northern Italy.

Panettone is baked for three days with natural yeast and contains no preservatives or additives. The main ingredients are flour, eggs, butter, sugar, raisins, orange peel, chedro (citron), and vanilla beans. The dough, which looks plain but shines "golden" when cut, is made from egg yolks alone, and the fine honeycomb-like bubbles and vertical cracks created by fermentation with natural yeast are proof of its superiority. The buttery, flavorful raisins, orange peel, and candied chedros (citrons) are encrusted on the top, and each fruit has its own meaning: raisins mean "money", oranges mean "love", and chedros mean "health and eternity". When eating or giving panettone, people eat it with these meanings in mind. It looks like the most simple cake in the world. However, the "artisanal panettone," which is made with only the highest quality ingredients because of its simplicity, is "the most difficult cake in the world," according to Italian artisans. The key to panettone is Lievito Madre (home-cultivated yeast). No matter how high quality ingredients are used, the deliciousness of panettone comes from the Lievito Madre (home-cultivated yeast), which gives it its unique flavor, and the process and environment in which it is made by the artisan. The unique texture and flavor are created by the process and environment in which it is made. The panettone dough requires three fermentations just to rise, and four fermentations in total from the time it is formed to the time it is placed in the oven. The entire process takes three days to bake the panettone, and its appearance, flavor, taste, and texture can be cut, brought to the mouth, and appreciated for its exquisite value.

The inner layer, which is stretched vertically, is characterized by its ability to tear apart, and this is due to the multiple fermentations of natural yeast, which is also the most important part of the panettone process.

The most important point of this process is the panettone. If you bite against the fibers of the dough, you can feel the texture of the folded dough, and if you eat along the fibers, you can feel the texture of the dough, which is pleasant to the palate and moist in the mouth. You can also feel the texture of the lid.

In Italy, the "artisanal panettone" differentiates panettone, which is mass-produced inexpensively in factories from panettone handmade by artisans using natural yeast over a period of three days, and efforts are made to educate people about its value and to protect panettone artisans.

Panettone

What is the Japan Panettone Association?

It is the only organization in Japan dedicated to professional panettone artisans, with the purpose of providing technical support, cultural transmission, and international exchange for artisans who make the traditional Italian pastry "panettone" in Japan.