Flavors · Siena

Panforte di Siena

Round, flat, dense sweet made with candied fruit, almonds, honey and spices. It has medieval origins in Siena and comes in two versions: the white one, dusted with sugar, and the darker, more spiced one. It is protected as a geographical indication.

Traditional sweet from Siena, Toscana

Also known as: panforte, panforte Margherita, panforte nero, panpepato

Updated November 2026

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Panforte di Siena — Siena, Italy — Panforte di Siena

Panforte di Siena — Siena, Italy

Panforte di Siena is a compact confection made with candied fruit, almonds, honey, sugar, a little flour and spices. The dough is baked on a wafer sheet and then cut into thin slices because the flavor is intense.

Its roots are medieval. A chronicle from 1205 mentions rich breads with pepper and honey that serfs and tenants brought to the nuns of an abbey in the province of Siena. The name panforte appears in the early 19th century, and the first factory dates from 1810. In 1891, Pellegrino Artusi included the sweet in his cookbook, a benchmark of Italian cuisine.

There are two versions. The white one, coated with confectioners’ sugar, was created in 1879 for Queen Margherita’s visit to Siena during the August Palio and is therefore called panforte Margherita; it contains fewer spices. The dark one, called nero or panpepato, has a stronger spice and pepper flavor.

Panforte di Siena has protected geographical indication status, with production and packaging restricted to the province of Siena. It used to be a Christmas-season sweet, prepared from September until the end of the year, but today it can be found in Siena year-round.

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Where it comes from

Siena , Toscana
Medieval-origin sweet associated with Siena, protected by the Panforte di Siena PGI geographical indication.

Ingredients

Candied fruit, almonds, honey, sugar, flour, spices such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and pepper, a wafer sheet as the base and, in the white version, confectioners’ sugar.

How it is eaten

In thin slices, at the end of a meal or with coffee, often accompanied by a dessert wine.

When it is eaten

Traditionally at Christmas, but it is made and sold year-round.

Your questions

Questions about Panforte di Siena

What is the difference between panforte Margherita and panforte nero?

Margherita is the white version, coated with sugar and with fewer spices. Nero is dark and has a stronger spice flavor.

Does panforte only exist at Christmas?

It was a Christmas sweet, but today it is made and sold in Siena year-round.

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