A fruit cake of the special kind known as “Zelten” is produced in South Tyrol: It is particularly popular in Christmas time
The Christmas Zelten Cake combines exotic spices, southern fruits and best regional ingredients. The fruit bread, however, has been known for centuries in South Tyrol: On farms this bread often has already been baked in November and in former times it used to be a popular present. Today only few women still practise this custom and the fruit bread is otherwise prepared: The Christmas Zelten Cake with its mix of fruits, nuts and spices is a refined form of the original fruit bread.
A traditional South Tyrolean Zelten consists of a bread dough made of water, yeast, sugar, flour, salt, oil, aniseed and cumin. A fruit and nuts dough made of dried figs, raisins, sultanas, hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, candied lemon and orange peel, white wine, rum and honey is added. Finally, all you need now is cinnamon, clove powder, allspice and nutmeg, and then the fruit and nuts dough is mingled with the bread dough, brushed with sugar water and baked.
Afterwards, the South Tyrolean Christmas Zelten Cake must be stored for about two weeks before it can be sliced and enjoyed in the company of good friends and family. The ingredient-rich snack provides you with plenty of energy. Bakeries and pastries decorate it with walnuts, blanched almonds and candied cherries, and brush on sugar syrup or honey before the Zelten is being packed. A nice and tasty gift from one of the Christmas Markets on the South Tyrolean Wine Road!
