Every summer the people of Siena, Italy celebrate Il Palio, a rich and colorful festival based on centuries of tradition, culminating in a daring race on horseback. The festivities of the days of Palio are filled with camaraderie and fine foods. Inspired by this emotion-filled festival, Coffaro’s Baking Company created Panforte di Siena.

It is commonly believed that Panforte was introduced in 1000 AD when Siena was at its peak as a trade center and was one of the first cities to flavor foods with sugar and rare spices from the East. It is said that the monks of Siena were among the first to find pleasure in Panforte’s rich nutty flavors and they kept their formulas secret for many centuries. Moreover, legends tell us that Crusaders took Panforte along for sustenance on their rigorous pilgrimages.

Today it is these same ingredients that give Panforte Di Siena its authentic medieval taste. Panforte meaning “strong bread” in Italian, is an outstanding confection made with roasted nuts, candied orange and lemon peels, citron, honey and special spices, then it is dipped in European chocolate. Our Panforte is packaged in the brilliant colors and flowing designs representing the Palio celebration.