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The biblical quote from the Exodus “manna from heaven” refers to the long period of nomadism of the Jewish people in the desert, fleeing from slavery dictated by the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II.

Manna is a food defined as historically divine announced by God with the promise made to Moses, to keep the exiles alive for 40 years. The expression "manna that descends from heaven" in figurative art implies a connection between God and man.

In the Holy Scriptures, this sweet food that melts in the sun with the flavor of honey bread, has a mystical nutritional quality, connected to the divine and changes its flavor depending on its consumption.

Manna is the sap extracted from the bark of some species of plants in the ash genus. Thanks to its peculiarity and rarity, manna has become a Slow Food garrison, and its collection is subject to regulations to guarantee quality and certified origin.

Manna: history and origins

Manna is an ancient biblical food and according to the 16th book of Exodus, its name derives from "Mân Hu" which means “what is it? ”. This expression represents the amazement for Jews to see an unknown food raining from the sky, sent by their God into the desert to feed them.

The Greeks and Romans knew it by the name of 'dew honey' or 'secretion of the stars' with a miraculous character. Manna is a derivative of the fassino plant and was once very common.

It was collected in different areas of Italy such as Sicily, Calabria, Gargano, Beneventano, Molise, Lazio, in the Tolfa woods and in the Tuscan Maremma. It was a family practice that was later replaced by the production of synthetic mannitol.

Manna: cultivation and benefits

does manna look like? Manna comes in the form of light, spongy stalactites and is a natural sweetener low in glucose and fructose.

Nowadays it is produced exclusively in Sicily in the territory of Castelbuono, Pollina, where there is also the Museum of Manna, Cefalù and its surroundings. Manna is obtained from the ash tree, which engraved with the “cutièddu â manna”, causes cotton threads attached to violet resin filaments to solidify when in contact with air and the sun, creating whitish stalactites.

The harvest period takes place during the summer period, around mid-July, when the ash tree reaches the right concentration of sugars for crystallization.

Manna is a sugary exudate consisting mainly of mannite, organic acids, water, glucose, fructose, mucilage, resins and nitrogen compounds. Its composition is very complex and strongly influenced by the area of origin, the climate, the chemical-physical characteristics of the soil, the age of the plants and the seasonal trend.

This product also has many beneficial properties in the pharmacological and cosmetic fields. It is also used to alleviate various problems such as, for example, to combat constipation problems or as a laxative (both in children and adults). It is also perfect as an emollient for sensitive skin, reducing aging wrinkles.

Manna: uses and combinations in the kitchen

The uses in the kitchen are varied. One of the main creations in cooking with manna is sweet bread, sweetened with manna and prepared with flour, water, oil, milk and yeast. You get a cake that is very simple but able to concentrate millennia of history and fascinating traditions.

Around the Eighties it was rediscovered in the field of pastry, thanks to famous products such as Mannetto, the panettone alla manna by the Fiasconaro brothers, but it was also included among creams, nougats and as a formula for other desserts.

It can be combined with dark chocolate, taking advantage of its ability to round off the natural acidity of cocoa. In some restaurants in Castelbuono it has been included in the menu as an accompaniment to black piglet fillet in manna crust, almonds and pistachios.

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