Present in all Italian pastry shops, the Babà is one of the most popular Neapolitan pastries. The inventor appears to have been the king of Poland Stanislas Leszczyński (1677-1766), father in law of Louis XV and refined gastronome.
The story goes that King Stanislaus dipping a sweet similar to a brioche in rum discovered this delight and named it “Ali Baba” in tribute to his favorite reading.
In Naples, the Babà came in the wake of the Bourbon court, and immediately was “adopted.”
The Baba is a pastry made of yeast dough, from very soft and light texture which is rum soaked. It is often decorated with fresh fruit, custard, whipped cream, chocolate or more.
It’s so delightful that in Naples they use to say “you’re like a Babà” (tu si nu babà) to express the fact that you like them.
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