{"id":8445,"date":"2026-10-19T23:31:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T14:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/?post_type=sweetlore&p=8445"},"modified":"2026-10-31T18:50:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:50:35","slug":"brutti-ma-buoni","status":"publish","type":"sweetlore","link":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/en\/sweetlore\/brutti-ma-buoni\/","title":{"rendered":"Brutti ma Buoni"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With cracks across the surface and bits of nuts peeking through, brutti ma buoni are an Italian sweet known by a name meaning \u201cugly but good.\u201d The main ingredients are egg whites, sugar, and nuts, and they are baked without being shaped into neat, uniform forms. Some methods bake the meringue as it is, some first reduce its moisture in a pan, and others place a soft dough containing flour on a thin edible sheet before baking. Even under the same name, the dough and texture vary by region.<\/p>\n

Binding finely ground and coarse nuts with beaten egg whites<\/h2>\n

In methods using meringue, sugar is added little by little to egg whites to form a glossy foam. If part of the hazelnuts is ground to a powder and the rest is coarsely chopped before they are combined, the aroma spreads through the whole dough while every bite keeps the crunch of the pieces. The grinder is run in short bursts so that the nuts do not get too hot.<\/p>\n

The dough, with the nuts folded in without deflating the foam, can also be dropped straight onto a baking sheet with a spoon and baked. In this flourless type, the egg whites and sugar bind the nuts, and baking reduces the moisture so that the dough sets and holds its shape.<\/p>\n

\"Irregularly<\/p>\n

Irregularly baked brutti ma buoni. Bits of nuts can be seen in the cracked dough. Photo: Nyaleere, 2013-06-12, location unknown. Original image<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>. Reduced-size version from the source; no additional processing.<\/p>\n

Reducing moisture in a pan before baking<\/h2>\n

Another method is to heat the nut meringue in a pan to bring it together before baking. It is stirred constantly so that it does not scorch, and once it has become denser, it is formed into small mounds using two spoons or a similar tool. The mounds are dried through at a relatively low temperature and then cooled so that their firmness settles.<\/p>\n

For brut e bon in Piedmont, too, there is a traditional method in which roasted almonds or hazelnuts are added to whipped egg whites and sugar, and the mixture is transferred to a pan and heated over low heat before baking. Flavorings include vanilla, and some versions use cinnamon or chocolate. Whether the mixture is baked as it is or first reduced in a pan affects how easy it is to handle and the texture of the baked result.<\/p>\n

The Prato method using flour and ostia<\/h2>\n

At workshops in Prato, Tuscany, the order in which the nuts and egg whites are prepared is also distinctive. In this method, crushed almonds and egg whites are left to rest for several hours before the sugar and flour are combined. When the dough is placed on thin ostia and baked, a crust with some bite forms on the outside, while soft almond dough remains inside. The region\u2019s material on traditional foods also records this composition of adding flour and baking on ostia. It differs from methods that dry a nut meringue in both its ingredients and the softness of its interior.<\/p>\n

\n\"Baked\n
The pastry counter at Innocenti in Rome (June 7, 2014). The sweets that the photographer describes as brutti ma buoni are on the tray at upper left, displayed alongside other baked goods. Photo: Daryl Mitchell. Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>. Reduced-size version obtained from Commons. No content alterations or cropping on our part.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n
\n\"Individually\n
Individually wrapped brutti e buoni photographed at a pastry shop in Ispra (October 6, 2012). The wrapped pieces, showing the name of the sweet and the words \u201cSan Gabriele,\u201d are packed in a clear bag tied with a ribbon. Photo: Alexmar983 \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>. Reduced-size version obtained from Commons. No content alterations or cropping for this article.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Histories and uses of ingredients passed down at workshops in different places<\/h2>\n

In Gavirate, Lombardy, the Veniani family hands down Costantino Veniani\u2019s 1878 recipe (ingredient proportions and method), which uses roasted almonds and hazelnuts. Borgomanero in Piedmont also has the name br\u00fbt e bon<\/em>, with a traditional method in which egg whites, sugar, and toasted nuts are warmed in a pan. The city of Borgomanero\u2019s introduction also includes a local story that the sweet was born in 1869 when the pastry cook Viganotti mixed egg whites and sugar by chance. In 2020 the city entered this sweet in its register of local products. How the sweets of these two areas are related is not clear.<\/p>\n

The Mattei workshop in Tuscany credits Italia Ciampolini, of the early 20th century, with creating its version of the sweet. According to the story, she combined almonds that had broken in the workshop with egg whites left over from torta mantovana, which uses egg yolks. The method of using flour and ostia while leaving the inside soft shows ingenuity in making use of ingredients left over in the workshop.<\/p>\n

Around Viterbo in Lazio, too, small sweets of the same name are made with Roman hazelnuts. Gavirate uses two kinds of roasted nuts, Borgomanero uses a meringue heated in a pan, and Prato uses leftover egg whites and broken almonds. While the irregular appearance is shared, workshops in each place make the sweet with different ingredients and methods.<\/p>\n

Glossary<\/h2>\n

Meringue<\/strong>: Egg whites whipped with added sugar.<\/p>

Hazelnut<\/strong>: The nut of the hazel. Roasting intensifies its toasty flavor.<\/p>

Viganotti<\/strong>: The pastry cook named in the city of Borgomanero\u2019s introduction to the sweet\u2019s origin story.<\/p>

Borgomanero<\/strong>: A town in Piedmont. One of the places presented as connected to the tradition of this sweet.<\/p>

Costantino Veniani<\/strong>: A pastry cook from Gavirate, associated with the 1878 recipe for that town\u2019s brutti e buoni.<\/p>

Italia Ciampolini<\/strong>: A woman who ran the Mattei workshop in the early 20th century. She is credited with creating the workshop\u2019s brutti buoni.<\/p>

Ostia<\/strong>: A very thin edible sheet made from starch or similar ingredients. It is used when baking a soft dough placed on top of it.<\/p>

Torta mantovana<\/strong>: A butter cake made with egg yolks and almonds. At Mattei, the egg whites left over from making it are said to have been used for brutti buoni.<\/p>

References<\/h2>\n
  1. \n

    Cucchiaio d\u2019Argento, \u201cBrutti ma buoni\u201d<\/a> \u2014 Nuts at two degrees of fineness, meringue, shaping and baking without the pan step, explanation of Borgomanero.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  2. \n

    GialloZafferano, \u201cBrutti ma buoni\u201d<\/a> \u2014 Method of thickening in a pan and then drying at a low temperature, cooling.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  3. \n

    Regione Piemonte, \u201cBR\u00dbT E BON\u201d<\/a> \u2014 Roasted nuts, heating in a pan, regional names and the range of flavorings.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  4. \n

    Pasticceria Veniani, \u201cBrutti e Buoni\u201d<\/a>, \u201cCostantino Veniani\u201d<\/a> \u2014 History of the family\u2019s 1878 recipe, two kinds of roasted nuts and vanilla, production with hand wrapping.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  5. \n

    Antonio Mattei, \u201cL\u2019invenzione dei Brutti Buoni\u201d<\/a>, production description for the same product<\/a> \u2014 Early 20th-century workshop history, surplus ingredients, resting the egg whites and almonds, flour and ostia, the inner and outer textures.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  6. \n

    Regione Toscana, \u201cBrutti boni di Prato\u201d<\/a> \u2014 The Prato type with flour and ostia, year-round production, pairing the sweet with wine.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  7. \n

    VisitLazio, \u201cLa Nocciola Romana DOP\u201d<\/a> \u2014 That Roman hazelnuts from Lazio are also used in local brutti e buoni.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  8. \n

    City of Borgomanero, \u201cBrutti ma buoni\u201d<\/a> \u2014 Local account of the origin as a chance event involving Viganotti in 1869. Not verified against contemporary records.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  9. \n

    City of Borgomanero De.Co. register<\/a> \u2014 Registration on October 27, 2020. This is a municipal register of local products, not an EU protected designation.<\/p>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Brutti ma buoni are an Italian baked sweet made with nuts. The name means \u201cugly, but good.\u201d Nuts are mixed into a meringue of egg whites and sugar, spooned into irregular mounds, and baked. The surface is cracked and uneven, and when one is broken open, the light egg-white part and fine bits of nut appear together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7472,"menu_order":216,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_parade_sweetlore_meta":{"en":"Brutti ma buoni","subtitle":"Nuts and meringue inside an irregular mound","topics":"Using nuts at two degrees of fineness\uff0fAn outline shaped without a mold\uff0fA small sweet that spread from northern Italy","country":"Italy","show_toc":true,"ingredients":["nuts","egg"],"texture":["smooth"],"occasion":["tea","everyday"],"method":["baked"],"season":[]},"footnotes":""},"sweetlore_category":[151],"class_list":["post-8445","sweetlore","type-sweetlore","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"sweetlore_related_products":null,"sweetlore_related_faqs":null,"sweetlore_related_voices":null,"sweetlore_related_mode":"auto","sweetlore_related_articles":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t