Savoiardi Reggiani

Made with just a few essential ingredients – eggs, sugar and white flour – Savoiardi from Reggio are light, fragrant biscuits that embody all the simplicity and elegance of traditional pastry-making.
Soft yet firm, delicate yet resilient, they absorb creams and liquids without losing their texture, becoming the discreet yet indispensable stars of spoon desserts.

A story of experimentation and intuition

Their origins date back to the early 20th century, when Elico Alai, inspired by a Piedmontese biscuit linked to his childhood memories, began experimenting with an alternative recipe to sponge cake, which was very common in Reggio Emilia’s pastry-making at the time.

After numerous attempts, in 1909 he succeeded in creating a new biscuit, lighter and better suited to spoon desserts: made with whipped eggs and simple ingredients, it resulted in a texture that was both soft and crumbly.
The product was named ‘Savoiardo’ and was also known as ‘Pan di Reggio’, retaining an almost homely, artisanal character for a long time before becoming widespread across the region.

Now it is recognised as a Traditional Agri-Food Product (PAT) of Emilia-Romagna.

The art of perfect simplicity

The method still follows the original technique: the egg yolks are beaten with the sugar, then combined with flour and a small amount of milk; the egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks, are gently folded in to preserve the lightness of the mixture.
From this mixture, small oval sticks measuring about five centimetres are formed, arranged on a baking tray and baked in the oven at around 200°C until they have a golden surface and a soft, slightly spongy texture.

At the heart of traditional desserts

Reggiano Savoiardi find their most natural expression in traditional spoon desserts, particularly in zuppa inglese.
Here, they absorb creams, liqueurs and aromatic soaking liquids without falling apart, contributing to the balance of the dessert and offering the palate a soft, harmonious texture.
Small in size but essential in substance, they represent one of the most delicate and recognisable expressions of Reggio Emilia’s pastry-making tradition.

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Zuppa inglese