A cake named after local wildlife

Scanno, Italy is proud of their brown bear population. So, of course, they named a cake after them.

Marsican brown bear

Abruzzo is a region in southeastern Italy, north of Puglia and east of Lazio (Rome). Mountainous and heavily forested, Abruzzo has two major national parks; Parco Nazionale della Maiella and the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise.

Both parks are filled with wildlife including the Italian wolf. Birders love going to the parks to spot eagles, falcons, and owls.

Marsican brown bear (photo: Marco Tersigni)

The parks are also home to the critically endangered Marsican brown bear. Estimates have put the population in the parks as just 40 bears.

Pan dell’Orso origin story

Scanno is a small town on a mountaintop in Abruzzo surrounded by the Parco Nazionale della Maiella and the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise.

The people of Scanno are rightly proud of their brown bear population. You’ll see signs on roads reminding people to drive carefully and not hit the beloved animals.

Back in the day, shepherds around Scanno would be gone or days, moving flocks from one area to another, so they had to carry food with them.

Legend has it that shepherds carrying cakes in their saddlebags were attacked by a bear. The bear, for his part, spared the shepherds but ate all the cakes.

So, when it came time for baker Liborio Di Masso to name a new cake he invented in the 1970’s, Pan dell’Orso (Bear Bread) was a natural fit.

Sampling Pan dell’Orso (photo: Karen L. Campopiano)

The cake itself is in a half dome shape with a dough made of flour, almonds, honey, and eggs. After the bread comes out of the oven and cools, it is topped with dark chocolate.

Large Pan dell’Orso cakes are often served at weddings and you’ll see them for sale in shop windows all over Scanno.

Liborio Di Masso’s bakery, where Pan dell’Orso was invented, is run by his sons and is now called Pasticceria Pan Dell’Orso. They still crank out the cakes, including a small single serving size of Pan dell’Orso.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides on Destination Eat Drink, including one for Scanno & Sulmona. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.

Brent