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Modica: when in need of “Bonajuto” 

Antica Dolceria BonajutoThe Antica Dolceria Bonajuto in Modica, Sicily is reputedly the oldest chocolate shop on the island. Pomegranate Journeys recently scheduled a visit of the Bonajuto chocolate laboratory during a pedal-through last week and the results were rich and delicious. There really isn’t anything better to help you up the hills on Pomegranate’s Sicily Bike Adventure than some raw chocolate and a cupful of Xocolic – their chocolate liqueur. It’s no surprise then that “Bonajuto” means “good help.”

But it’s also the name of the founder of the chocolate laboratory. In 1880, Franceso Bonajuto followed in his father’s footsteps and opened up a cake shop, which over the years has won critical acclaim with professionals in the sweet field. Of course,  all of Bonajuto’s treats come from deeply rooted traditions native to Modica.

A few months ago I posted on Ragusa, and Modica is simply 15 kilometers to the south and equally as beautiful. The firstAntica Dolceria Bonajuto documentation of Modica comes from Roman documents dating to the year 212 B.C. They describe a village called “Motyka” which was defiant to Roman rule (as most Sicilians still are today). It was in 844 A.D. that Modica began to flourish agriculturally after the Arab conquest of the island. Then in the fourteenth century, Sicily passed under Spanish rule for a few hundred years. Like the rest of the island, Modica has been consecutively conquered by different nations. However, it’s within this “layering” of foreign nations over thousands of years that Modica retains its own rich traditions and culture.

Antica Dolceria BonajutoThus the aranciata and cedrata are sweets of Arab origin with orange peel and citron, purified with water to remove alcohol and then baked with honey. The orange and citron have the consistency of nougat and should be eaten in slivers. Meanwhile the ‘Mpanatigghi (the cookies you’ll see in this video) are biscuits typical to the city of Modica and were introduced by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. The local name of these biscuits is probably derived from the Spanish empanadas-empadillas, where the unusual combination of meat and chocolate is frequently used in Spanish cuisine. In past centuries game meat were used for the preparation of ‘Mpanatigghi; these days beef sirloin is employed since it is less sinuous and easily acquired.

Regardless, Bonajuto needs no help in the chocolate department. This visit was one of a number of great discoveries along a magnificent bike adventure through Southern Sicily.

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