Traditional processing techniques

PGI Cantuccini, also known as “Cantucci”, are typical Tuscan dry biscuits. Scapigliati Cantuccini are made with the best ingredients, without milk according to the family traditional recipe. Simple and genuine ingredients make the taste of Scapigliati Cantuccini unique and it contains: wheat flour, sugar, whole unpeeled almonds, eggs, butter, honey, vanilla and a pinch of Volterra salt. Pastry rolls are placed on cookie trays and steam cooked in a rotary oven at 175° for about 25 minutes. The pastry chef carefully follows the cooking process by bringing adjustments on sight. The pastry rolls – freshly baked – are prepared for the traditional diagonal cut, distinctive feature of this Tuscan biscuit. The final step is the packaging process which is carried out by an automatic weighing and wrapping machine. In this way Cantucci biscuits, in their own packaging, preserve all the taste and fragrance of freshly baked cookies over time.

Cantuccino’s tales

There are many and ancient stories about the origins of Cantuccino biscuit.

Many people claim that the name could originate from “canto”, that means the corner or part of a whole, or else from “cantellus” a Latin word that refers to “piece or slice of bread”. The origins of Cantuccini date back to the 1500s, but they only appeared in its sweet flavor soon after the spread of cane sugar.
While others mention that the word Cantuccio refers to the discarded part of sweet loaf – prepared by bakers for wealthiest people – eaten by poor peasant families.

Starting from the second half of the 1500s, the fragrance of freshly baked Cantuccini permeated every corner of the Medici Court and it was Caterina de’ Medici, a connoisseur of culinary art, the one that asked for an enrichment of the dough with almonds.

The spreading of Cantuccini in several variants characterized the 18th century, but it was only from the 1900s that more and more pastry chefs took on the production of almond Cantuccini and helped the widespread of this Tuscan specialty worldwide.

Protected geographical indication

The Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for “Cantuccini” or “Cantucci Toscani” was introduced in 2016. The PGI defends products that meet production regulations, in order to guarantee geographical and quality standards. 

Biscottificio Scapigliati obtained the PGI certification for its almond Cantuccini and it soon became part of the companies that can boast of this denomination.

Its unique taste and ease of storage made Cantuccini the most famous Italian and Tuscan biscuits all over the world.