Driven by the typical goliardic zeal, the Florentines love this dessert and don’t hesitate to define him using even more profane language. Profiterole appears to have its roots in the Italian Renaissance, despite having been born in the Court of France.
Some of the most delicious Italian recipes were introduced to the Alps by Caterina de ‘Medici, the queen consort of Henry II, the king of France. Along with the well-known béchamel sauce, it appears that Popelini, one of his personal chefs, invented the pasta for the puffs (called “Choux” in French for the first time) in 1540. It was an instant hit and gave rise to the foundation of the sweet profiteroles.
Don’t forget to request a bongo, a name that invariably conjures up images of Africa, or more accurately, the stereotypical African name. Loved and widely distributed throughout Tuscany.
The Accademia della Crusca claims that the Florentines associate the odd name—which actually would refer to an African rural mammal—with the dark brown hue created by the chocolate layer enclosing the cream puff’s composition, creating a visual resemblance to a black cake.
