/ Our magazine / La Delizia, a pastry shop to try.
/ Our magazine / La Delizia, a pastry shop to try.
The pastry shop “La Delizia” of Michele Somma is a laboratory of sweet emotions: welcoming and hospitable, it represents the most genuine Neapolitan tradition in its creations, while also interpreting the art of pastry making in a modern way. Today we are talking with Gerardo Somma, Michele's son, who enthusiastically and passionately carries on his father's business.
«My father initially worked as a street vendor with his uncle, who sold a variety of products, from taralli to nougat. The dream of becoming a pastry chef was born from this experience, which continued with an apprenticeship in a workshop: he immediately found his path, going straight to practical work. I followed a hotel management training, while he, you could say, had “the school of doing”.
I do not know the exact year, but certainly in the ’70s he started working as a pastry assistant, first taking care of the humbler tasks and then gradually gaining initiative and mastery. He took courses to deepen the profession, but it was the talent he already had from the beginning that the customers recognized».
«Certainly. Opening a pastry shop on his own was a big step, due to the responsibilities it entailed and the need to manage staff and the administrative side. At the same time, it allowed him to express himself at his best, to move with greater autonomy; despite the burdens, it was an opportunity for growth and evolution.
Even today, the shop is changing and expanding: in the coming years, we plan to create a bar area, to welcome more guests and offer a more comfortable space for our customers to enjoy coffee and relax».
«I am gradually taking over, but the master pastry chef is still dad! With more experience under his belt, he manages the administrative side together with the more creative aspect that requires testing new recipes. The section for large leavened products is also under his supervision, and that is just as it should be.
We have many commitments, but we are a close-knit team, we support each other: some of our employees have been with us for twenty-five years or more; they have harmonized with the work at La Delizia, and this also adds quality to the preparations. La Delizia opened in 1994, and over the years it has won the affection of many people».
«My mother Maria handles reservations and customer contact, and my sister also works with us: my father remains the reference point for all of us, but everyone brings their suggestions and proposals. I, for example, believe a lot in the opportunity to grow the business through e-commerce, to reach not only the people of Santa Maria la Carità or the Neapolitan area but a national audience».
«So far, it has only happened a couple of times from what I remember, but it has been important to challenge ourselves to adapt our recipes for a longer shelf life, to ensure the freshness of the product to be shipped overseas! It was a challenge and a novelty, which came right after the great success we had in Turin at the Una Mole di Panettoni competition, which we won in 2019.
In the past two years, we haven't sent our products to other competitions, but we will start doing so again in 2023: not so much to win, but to bring our dove cakes and panettones out of the region, as they deserve to be known throughout Italy».
«It's really difficult to choose, I am torn between the milk and dark chocolate panettone, and the limoncello one. It is a shame that for now these sweets are still very much tied to just one time of the year; having a slice for breakfast starts the day off perfectly! It shouldn't be considered strange to want to taste a bite outside the traditional occasions for which they were created.
This habit is changing for the Neapolitan pastiera. Although it was created for Easter, it is sometimes purchased on Sundays as a normal cake: what matters is that it is good».
«Thank you for your time and your answers, Gerardo: for all the curious and tempted readers, we remind you that within the online shop of Spaghetti&Mandolino, you can also find the delicious baba in jar cooking from La Delizia, another exquisite product that we recommend you try».
Chiara Tomasella
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