High-quality raw materials, creative recipes, and surprising flavors make dining at a Michelin-Star Restaurant a unique experience, but it can also be quite expensive. Master pastry chef Iginio Massari has sparked controversy by selling his Chiacchiere Pastry - a staple dessert for the Carnival Season in Italy at a price of 100 euros per kilo. Massari's brand is synonymous with quality and luxury and each holiday season, the maestro creates special desserts, including the Christmas panettone, Easter Colomba, and exclusive creations for Valentine’s Day. This year, for Carnival 2025, he also introduced his haute patisserie Chiacchiere Pastry. But this time, not the taste nor quality caught Social Media's attention but the high price instead. At his pastry shop in Milan, located in Piazza Diaz, the price per kilo has reached a remarkable 100 euros.
Last year, the price of chiacchiere at the Massari pastry shop was set at 80 euros per kilo, which sparked criticism since it was nearly four times higher than the average price at other artisanal pastry shops. In Milan, the prices of artisanal chiacchiere in other pastry shops range from 20 to 60 euros per kilo, while in supermarkets, they can be found for as low as 6 to 7 euros per kilo. This significant price difference has raised questions, especially considering that chiacchiere has always been regarded as a simple and popular dessert made from basic ingredients like flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and frying oil. An analysis published last week by CiboToday indicates that the high price is not solely due to the quality of the raw materials and the craftsmanship involved. Market positioning, particularly that of the Massari pastry shop, also plays a crucial role. In recent years, notable increases in the prices of key ingredients—such as seed oil, butter, and sugar—have partly justified the rise in prices. Additionally, the cost of craftsmanship must be taken into account, as well as the shop’s marketing strategy and positioning.
Chef Guido Mori, in an interview with 'La Repubblica', shared his views on food pricing. He argues that when product prices stray too far from the cost of raw materials, they shift from being food to luxury items. For him, food embodies nourishment, tradition, and togetherness, especially during celebrations like Carnival. Mori points out that while pastry making is an art, the high prices of common desserts like chiacchiere are unjustifiable. He emphasizes that such traditional foods are not rare or valuable, stating, “We are not talking about white truffles or caviar,” and attributes the steep prices to market positioning rather than quality.
Last year, several renowned Italian chefs have launched their own versions of panettone and pandoro, which can be purchased online at prices ranging from 30 to 130 euros. Among the notable chefs offering panettoni are Carlo Cracco, Antonino Cannavacciuolo, and others. For instance, Carlo Cracco's "Super Panettone" is available in his online shop for Euro 50.00. This gourmet version of the classic dessert is filled with candied orange and raisins that have been marinated in Madagascar vanilla pods. The one-kilogram panettone comes with a collector's tin and is priced at 48 euros. Cracco's pistachio variant costs 50 euros, while his pandoro is available for 40 euros on the same site. Antonino Cannavaccioulo's Classic Panettone comes in at Euro 43.00 and Bruno Barbieri's endorsed Panettone from Motta at Euro 27.95. There is no doubt that a gourmet artisan Panettone is a fabulous Christmas present, particularely if it is also beautifully wrapped or packed in the Chef's branded gift box. I have to admit that I bought friends and family, Designer version for Christmas - such as the Dolce & Gabbana Fiasconaro Panettone and it was a hit. Delicous, fragrant and the re-usable gift tin - with the unique pattern - a winner.
Chiacchiere Recipe for Carnival
The chiacchiere are crunchy and delicate fried pastries typical of the Carnival period and are called with different names depending on the regions of origin: chiacchiere in Lombardy, cenci and donzelle in Tuscany, frappe and sfrappole in Emilia, cròstoli in Trentino, galani and gale in Veneto and many more. To show you how easy the Chiacchiere pastry is prepared, here a recipe from GialloZafferano. And you will not need to spend Euro 100.00 per Kilo!
Ingredients for about 40 chatter:
00 flour 500 g; Sugar 70 g; Butter at room temperature 50 g; Grappa 30 g; Eggs (medium) 3; Baking powder for cakes 6 g
Vanilla pod 1; Yolks 1; Salt 1 pinch
Preparation:
To prepare the chiacchiere, sift the flour together with the yeast and pour into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar, the salt, the previously beaten eggs, the egg yolk and the grappa. Work until the ingredients are well mixed. Replace the leaf with the dough hook, add the vanilla bean seeds and the butter, then continue kneading for 15 minutes until you obtain a homogeneous mixture: it should be firm but fairly malleable. If necessary you can add 5-10 g of water. Transfer the dough to a work surface and handle it quickly to give it a spherical shape. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. After this time, divide the dough into portions of approximately 150 g and start working each one individually. Lightly flatten a first portion with the palm of your hand, flour it and roll it out with the pastry cutter set to the widest thickness. Fold the short sides of the strip of dough obtained towards the center, then pull it out again, each time setting the pasta maker to an increasingly smaller thickness, until it reaches 2 mm. Perform the same procedure on all portions of dough. Let the rolled pastry rest for a few minutes and in the meantime bring the oil to a temperature of 150-160°. Using a scalloped cutter, proceed by shaping rectangles of approximately 5x10 cm and making two central cuts on each one, parallel to the long side. As soon as the oil has reached the right temperature, immerse 2-3 rectangles of puff pastry with the help of a slotted spoon and cook them, turning them on both sides until they are golden brown. Drain the pastries on absorbent paper and, once cold, plate them and sprinkle them with plenty of sifted icing sugar. You're ready for Carnival - the Chiacchiere Pastry is done! Grazie a GialloZafferano!
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