Pionono describes different sweet or savory pastry from Granada, Spain, the Philippines, South America, and the Caribbean. They are named after Pope Pius IX's name in Italian language, Pío Nono.
By country
Spain
Spanish piononos are small pastries traditional in Santa Fe, a small town adjacent to the city of Granada, Spain, which is otherwise known primarily for the Capitulations of Santa Fe between Columbus and the Catholic Monarchs.
A pionono has two parts: a thin layer of pastry rolled into a cylinder, drenched with different kinds of syrup which give the pionono a sweet and pleasant texture, and crowned with toasted cream. It is typically eaten in one or two bites.
Philippines
In the Philippines,
pionono is more commonly spelled as
pianono. It is a rolled
sponge cake and is more accurately a type of
Swiss roll. It consists of a layer of pastry made from eggs, sugar, and sifted flour baked in a sheet. Once cooled, jelly or other types of filling is spread over the pastry. It is then rolled from one end to the other. Its most common traditional filling is simply sugar and butter (or margarine), similar to the other forms of the Filipino
mamón (sponge cakes). Modern versions, however, are commonly frosted and can include a variety of fillings.
South America and Cuba
In various
countries such as
Argentina,
Uruguay,
Chile,
Paraguay,
Venezuela,
Colombia,
Peru and in
Cuba, piononos are prepared using a dough made of
flour, eggs, and
sugar, which is baked in a thin sheet then rolled around a filling of dulce de leche sometimes with walnuts, or fruits like strawberries with
chantilly cream, or in the case of savory piononos with
cured ham,
cheese,
tomato and
mayonnaise, or a savory salad, such as ham salad with asparagus and lettuce, chicken salad or even
tuna. A similar cake is called "Brazo de Gitano" or "Brazo Gitano" in Cuba,
Spain, and several other Spanish-speaking countries. In Uruguay a similar preparation called massini is not rolled and its dough is filled in between with whipped cream and covered with burnt yolks.
Puerto Rico (U.S.)
In
Puerto Rico, piononos are prepared using ripe, or yellow, plantains as the "bread" around a savory filling. Plantains are sliced length wise and fried to make it more pliable to wrap around the filling.
Picadillo, seafood,
lunch meat, or vegetables topped with
cheese are typical fillings; the whole sandwich is dipped in a batter made from flour and eggs and then deep-fried, or baked with no batter.
Gallery
File:PioNono-Málaga.jpg|Piononos from Málaga
File:Piononos agridulces argentinos caseros.JPG|Homemade Argentine piononos
File:Piononos agridulces argentinos caseros cortados.JPG|Sliced Savory Argentine pionono, with Ham, cheese, Salsa golf and vegetables
File:Piononos dulces argentinos caseros.jpg|Sweet Argentine piononos
File:Pionono dulce argentino casero cortado.jpg|Sliced sweet Argentine pionono
File:Arrolladodleche.jpg|Sweet Argentine piononos with dulce de leche
File:Brazo de mercedes.jpg|Philippine brazo de Mercedes
File:FvfFoodsPhil9233 05.JPG|Purple yam macapuno pianono from the Philippines
See also
External links
