Saturday, May 16, 2009

Venezia on the Label - Biscotti

This package of biscotti ended up on my kitchen counter a while back.
I think it was part of a gift basket, but I'm not certain.

At first glance I was taken, both by the appearance of the biscotti and the snappy label.

"Federico's Gourmet Italian Cookies" was the name of the product. It was classified as "parasemani", which is an almond variation of biscotti (my favorite kind).

The label held a striking resemblance to some of the works of Venetian painter Canaletto. Who knows, the scene could be part of a Canaletto.
the boats in the scene look similar to those in Canaletto's paintings - with the lines that were typical of the late 1600's and early 1700's.
Most of the boats are rowed by two people, and some have felze covers.


Now that we've spent ample time oohing and ahhing over the package, let me address the "eatability" of these biscotti.

I was excited to try the product.
The packaging and all other influencing factors brought me to the point where I couldn't wait to munch on them.
They could have been mediocre and I would have raved.
I was primed.


I opened the container, fished one out, took a bite, and "Holy masonite Batman, these things are like concrete!"
I nearly broke my jaw, honestly began to worry about doing damage that would require a visit to the dentist.
They were within the freshness date too.

Now in all fairness, once I had gnawed the thing down to the point where it was swallowable (which took some time), it did taste good.
It just didn't seem worth the hassle.

I did dunk one in coffee, and then in milk in an effort to soften it up. This yielded a soft exterior, but the core remained granite-like.

In summary, if you're looking to buy biscotti for sheer looks, buy this product.
If you need something rock-hard to throw at men or beasts, a real self-defense item - they're just the ticket.
I found them "highly chuckable".

But if you'd actually like to eat and enjoy biscotti,
I cannot recommend these.

3 comments:

René Seindal said...

Interesting how most of the boats on the image go across the canal, not along it.

The biscotti are supposed to be soaked in vin santo before being eaten. They're very hard unless you soak them.

Gondola Greg said...

Hi René.
Yes, I thought the direction of the boats was interesting too. I'd guess the artist placed them that way in the interest of looks, and not authenticity.
As for the biscotti, even after soaking, they were too hard.
Not very good for eating, but there was a loud bird in my yard that was bothering everybody.
The biscotti was perfect for throwing and it did get rid of the annoying bird.

Nereo said...

those biscotti seem to be "cantuccini like" but they aren't a italian product. Totally unknown here ...