Name

Maize Biscuits

Seal of quality

Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale (PAT) / Typical food-farming product. Updated list of traditional Piedmontese Food Farming Products.

Description

Meliga pastries are typical biscuits of the Cuneo valleys. Each golden coloured biscuit weighs 10 – 12 grams, is crunchy, sweet and the various shapes depend on the local tradition.

For the preparation: 1 kg wheat flour, 0.5 kg maize flour (meliga or “melia” in the Piedmontese dialect), better if of the old variety and very finely ground, 1 kg butter, 0.7 kg sugar, 5 whole eggs, 10 g salt, grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 sachet chemical raising agent.

Mix the butter and sugar well with the eggs, the salt and lemon rind, sieve the flour and knead briefly and leave for ten minutes in a cool place. Each single piece is cut out and placed on special baking tins and baked in a moderate oven. The biscuits are sold in plastic bags or in personalised tin boxes.

The Paste di Meliga are produced in the artisan workrooms of confectioneries and bakeries, in conformity with the current regulations and utilising normal equipment.

Area of production

Paste di meliga are produced in the Cuneo valleys and also on the bordering flatlands. Those produced in the Barge area, where they are called “batiaje”, are particularly well-known, and also in the Monregalese area, especially in Pamparato, where a Slow Food Protection movement has been established with the purpose of protecting the tradition and excellent organoleptic characteristics of Paste di Meliga.

History

The recipe of Paste di Meliga is centuries old, they are traditional biscuits prepared in farmhouses with the ingredients that can be found in the house (maize and wheat flour). In the Barge area, they are known as “batiaje”, since they were they used to be offered during baptism celebrations (batjè in Piedmontese means baptism).