Unique dough and cream with a delicious flavor, but it doesn't quite scream pistachio.
Rating: 7/10
Rame di Napoli are a traditional Catanese treat, typically made for All Souls' Day, featuring a cocoa-based dough covered in dark chocolate glaze. Over the years, many variations have emerged, including pistachio Rame di Napoli!
While you'll find them made in all sorts of ways across bars, pastry shops, and fairs, the ones crafted by Gran Caffè Santonocito (Misterbianco) are truly unique (for better or worse), as they are made with a 100% pistachio dough.
The inside of the rama differs significantly from the classic cocoa version, as it is entirely kneaded with pistachio, resulting in a texture similar to a "pistachio paste." The pistachio cream inside is a cross between a classic pistachio spread and a pistachio pastry cream. To top it off, the treat is almost entirely covered in a pistachio glaze.
The overall flavor is truly excellent and the dough is incredibly soft, but the pistachio flavor is not perfectly identifiable. Both the dough and the cream have a very peculiar aftertaste, which we have already noted in other pistachio desserts from Gran Caffè Santonocito (such as their pistachio Colomba di Pasqua), and while it is very tasty, it doesn't taste exactly like pistachio. At times, especially after a couple of bites, a genuine pistachio aftertaste does come through, but it remains a bit too undefined.
Given the overall quality and the only vaguely perceptible pistachio taste, the rating is 7/10 pistachios. If you are looking for a high-quality dessert that stands out from the classic Rame di Napoli, these will certainly be for you, provided you aren't looking for a very intense pistachio flavor.
Also available in many other flavors, such as hazelnut and Nutella, as well as the classic version, of course.
