(; : ; , pl. ), sometimes also known as a lobstertail, is a shell-shaped

pastry Pastry refers to a variety of Dough, doughs (often enriched with fat or eggs), as well as the sweet and savoury Baking, baked goods made from them. The dough may be accordingly called pastry dough for clarity. Sweetened pastries are often descr ...

with a sweet or creamy filling, originating in the

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

region of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. means 'small, thin leaf/layer', as the pastry's texture resembles stacked leaves.

Origin

, from which the current was born, was created in the monastery of Santa Rosa in

Conca dei Marini Conca dei Marini (Campanian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. It is situated on a hill close to the coast and between Amalfi and Furore. It was perhaps founded by the Etruscans ...

, Campania, in the 17th century. Pasquale Pintauro, a pastry chef from

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, acquired the original recipe and began selling the pastries in his shop in 1818.

Regional variations

Neapolitan cuisine Neapolitan cuisine has ancient historical roots that date back to the Greco-Roman world, Greco-Roman period, which was enriched over the centuries by the influence of the different cultures that controlled Naples and its Kingdom of Naples, kingd ...

, there are two types of the pastry: ('curly'), the standard version, and , a less labour-intensive pastry that uses a

shortcrust Shortcrust is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche, pie, or (in the British English sense) flan. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie. A ...

dough and does not form the 's characteristic layers. A variation named (in the United States "lobstertail") also exists, with the same crust but a sweeter filling.

References

External links

{{Pastries Neapolitan cuisine Cuisine of Campania Italian pastries Italian desserts Italian words and phrases

Origin

Regional variations

See also

References

External links