Sweet Treats for Obama from Apulia

Giulia Madron (March 25, 2014)

To honor President Barack Obama’s visit to the eternal city, pastry chef Angelo Bisconti from Campi Salentina (Apulia, near Lecce), will give out 5,000 “pasticciotti Obama,” the chocolate treats he created for his American ‘hero’

One of the advantages of being a public figure like President Obama is that people will name to streets, monuments and and dishes after you. This is exacty what pastry chef Angelo Bisconti did, inventing, nearly five years ago, the “Pasticciotto Obama,” a chocolate version of this typical of the Apulia region cake.

On the occasion of Obama’s visit to Rome on March 27th, Bisconti, a huge fan of the US President, will distribute, for free, 5,000 chocolate "pasticciotti."

From 7am, the chef from Apulia will park a van in front of the American embassy in Rome and offer these delicious treats to the public.

“It is a welcomingfor the US president,” said the master of the “pasticciotti Obama,” whose dream is to meet the President in person. “I know it will be difficult to meet him in person, but I will be there. I owe this to him since he has changed my life and my professional career.”

Indeed, the “pasticciotto Obama” gained popularity all over the world. Created in 2009, initially Bisconti produced 50 pasticciotti a day. After five years of the pastry's success, their production exceeds 15,000 pieces every week.

The initiative is supported by Bisconti’s home town, il Comune di Campi Salentina, near Lecce. Even the sign you see when you enter the town reads: “Campi Salentina, city of the ‘Pasticciotto Obama’.” The Commune of the city asked the American embassy in Rome to have the American delegation, which will visit the city next week, to try the chocolate treats of their pastry chef.

It is not the first time that chef Bisconti tries to meet his “hero.” In 2009 he came to the United States hoping to meet the President and present him the chocolate “pasticciotti” he named after him.

“I would like to meet the President and tell him how much my people love him and are proud of him. For us, he is the person who will help save the world from the huge crisis and problems we are going through. I wanted him to know that everybody in Salento supports him,” said Bisconti during an interview for i-Italy [2].

However, they never had the chance to meet in person. Maybe this time in Rome he will get his chance and we all hope for that! Good luck chef!