EK: “This has one of the nicest shapes, but I’m ambivalent; there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s not special, and there’s only a very small aftertaste of alcohol. This is a very happy breakfast panettone.” Score 6.5/10

BE: “I want a tall panettone, which this is, but it’s just too sweet and it needs something else going on in this bread. I think chocolate panettone is for people who don’t like panettone.” Score 4.5/10 EK: “It looks nice, and there’s the classic mix of candied peel and raisins. It’s not the most flavourful dough, but the texture is good. I like the hazelnut crust on top and there isn’t too much of it – but I think it’s not strong enough in flavour to call it hazelnut.” Score 8/10 EK: “This is a pretty good, very classic panettone. It’s fruit heavy but it needs more citrus; there’s enough peel, but it’s missing the citrus oil. It’s very similar to the Tesco panettone, but it’s better and cheaper.” Score 7.5/10 Pandoro cake is kind of like the sister cake to panettone. While panettone is round and squat and filled with candied fruit, traditional pandoro is a tall, plain, soft butter cake topped with powdered sugar. Pandoro is wider at the bottom than it is at the top, and traditionally is shaped so that when one cuts a horizontal slice, it comes out looking like a star! Many Italian brands that make panettone also make pandoro, such as Fiasconaro, Bauli, Filippi, and Tre Marie. What is colomba cake?EK: “This looks like a giant doughnut; I’m worried about the crust and texture of that cream inside, which stinks. Oh, I don’t like the filling, and the bread tastes artificial. If it didn’t have that weird cream and had some peel, it would be miles better.” Score 4/10 BE: “It looks like a giant hot cross bun – they’ve put the wrong thing inside! There’s lots of plump, juicy fruit and peel in here; it’s not bad at all. This feels more like an everyday panettone. If you love hot cross buns, this is for you.” Score 6/10

EK: “That chocolate cream is disgusting, it’s so sweet. It’s missing the citrus, so it doesn’t taste like panettone, but the taste and texture of the filling is the main takeaway – and that’s bad. You wouldn’t want a big chunk of this.” Score 4/10 We ranked the panettone brands by following the preferences of Bell Italia customers. We would like to remind our readers that it is possible to consult the constantly updated gallery to view a selection of the goods that we prepare daily for the most disparate destinations … best panettone included, of course.

EK: “I like the mix of sugar and almonds in the crust, but this panettone is bland – there’s no almond flavour in there. If you’re going to sell it as cherry and almond, then people are going to expect that bitter almond taste. Nice texture, though.” Score 6/10

Before finding out which are the 5 Best Panettone that you really should try for a truly Italian Christmas, let’s analyze some data related to the export of this dessert to the world. There is much expectation to understand if in 2019 the market trend will be as positive as last year: over 500 million euros of Italian Christmas sweets (mainly pandoro and panettone) exported from Italy to many countries around the globe and +10% compared to the previous year. BE: “I agree, this is very similar – and better – than the Tesco panettone. There’s more peel, and it’s not as sweet, which I appreciate.” Score 7/10 Are you abroad and want to know what is the best panettone to try for a truly Italian Christmas? Then keep reading this article! The Christmas holidays are almost upon us and wholesalers, retailers, importers, and restaurateurs from all over the world are taking action not to miss the dessert par excellence of this period: panettone. Symbol of history, tradition, and made-in-Italy quality, panettone today is known and appreciated all over the world; the credit goes to the Italian communities abroad that have exported the tradition of consuming the typical Christmas cake. But it also goes to the companies producing our country’s best panettone brands, which are able to win over consumers on every continent with the quality and authenticity of their products. What is panettone and what is its almost mythological history Panettone has an ancient, almost mythological origin. It seems that, even before the year 1000, families in Milan used to gather at Christmas to eat a “big bread”, offered by the head of the family to all the tablemates as a sign of communion. But, according to legend, it was a Milanese baker, whose name was Ulivo degli Atellani, who invented a cake made from eggs, honey, butter, and raisins, to conquer the heart of Adalgisa, the woman he loved.

BE: “This looks better than the picture on the box, which is rare. It feels dense, and the texture of the cream inside is just odd and way too sweet. The bread doesn’t have enough orange in it for a chocolate-orange panettone, either.” Score 4/10