Ciao a tutti!
I sometimes get frustrated from people who consistently ask me why I continue to check what is in my food. Not that I am really bothered, because I am happy to explain what it means to eat a plant-based diet; but it’s the faces they sometimes make when I check and inspect my food, that according to them could NEVER contain meat or animal products.
Humph. I beg to differ. EVERYTHING could possibly contain animal products. And even normally innocent items, like cookies, CAN and DO contain meat. Actual pieces of chopped up animals.
In southern Italy, these cookies are quite famous and if you are vegan, definitely ones to stay far, far away from.
The are called ‘Mpanatigghi in Sicilian dialect or sometimes called dolce di carne or impanatigghi and they are breaded cookies in a half-moon shape filled with a mix of almonds, walnuts, chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and….you guessed it…minced cow meat. Wow, what a way to ruin a cookie!
These cookies are a traditional, ancient recipe found in Modica, Sicily in the province of Ragusa; in fact, it is one of the many reasons why Modica is famous. If you find them anywhere else in Italy it is because they have most likely been imported from Modica.
Fortunately someone must have caught on that not everyone wants meat filled cookies, so there are some versions around that are made with eggplant. Of course, you still have to check to see if they used milk, butter, eggs or lard in the cookie dough (and yes, the traditional recipes calls for eggs and lard).
If going into a pasticceria to buy, you can just ask if they have the cookies senza carne. Or just skip those cookies altogether and pick something else.
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