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Island of Elba: Schiaccia Briaca

Between the 13th and 16th century, the Island of Elba was repeatedly attacked by Saracen pirates and dominated by Spanish lords. The influence of such invasions are particularly visible at Rio, and it is here that the Schiaccia Briaca originates.

It is a very characteristic cake made of an almost dry pastry, with little yeast, no eggs and with the following ingredients: pine-nuts, sultanas and dried fruit recalling flavors from the Near East. The preparation without yeast or animal fats made it suitable for long preservation and perfect for the storerooms of the islanders who went to sea.

The schiaccia becomes briaca (drunk) with the addition of red wine Aleatico, that also gives it the reddish color. This is a 19th century variation that contributed to its success even among the more delicate palates of the Lords of that period. A more recent addition is sugar, once very rare on the island and usually replaced by honey, and alkermes, a very red liquor that makes the schiaccia even redder.

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