When you think of Naples, the first sweets that come to mind are undoubtedly the babà and the sfogliatella. However, the city of Naples also holds other gems of historical pastry, less known but equally fascinating. One of these is the "coviglia, " a refined semifreddo that has been captivating the most curious palates for centuries.
The tradition of ice cream in Naples
Naples has a very ancient connection with ice cream and cold desserts. Already in classical times, iced drinks flavored with sweet ingredients were prepared, but it was with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies that the tradition was strengthened: the capital was rich in "snow streets, " where ice and snow from the mountains were preserved.
Sorbets, spumonis, and new inventions thus entered the habits of the city. Among these, the coviglia was also born, an elegant sweet perfect for summer.
What is coviglia
The name comes from the Spanish "cubillo, " a term that refers to the small metal containers in which it was served. Coviglia is a semifreddo made with cream, halfway between mousse, ice cream, and pastry.
Characteristics:
Served in elegant single-portion glasses.
Soft and airy consistency.
Often enriched with a disk of soaked sponge cake.
Available in classic variations: coffee, chocolate, strawberry, hazelnut.
A sweet with a long history
The first traces of coviglia date back to the seventeenth century, with mentions in aristocratic cookbooks. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, thanks to the gastronome Vincenzo Corrado and the writer Matilde Serao, the semifreddo fully entered the Neapolitan culinary imagination.
Today, although less widespread than other iconic sweets, it can still be enjoyed in historical cafes and ice cream parlors in Naples, as an authentic and unusual experience for true connoisseurs.
