Maritozzi Might Be The Best Roman Breakfast

The popular Roman breakfast pastry known as Maritozzi are delicious sweet buns that are perfectly paired with an espresso, and we’ll let you know where to go.

What Are Maritozzi?

Maritozzi are sweet Italian buns that are fluffy and light, evenly split, folded open and filled with fresh delicate whipped cream. Many are then dusted with powdered sugar, but not always.  Maritozzi are generally enjoyed as a breakfast pastry with a cappuccino but are available all day as a sweet treat after any meal.

How Do You Pronounce Maritozzo?

Also, the “zz” in Maritozzo / Maritozzi is pronounced just like in pizza, so in unofficial phonetics, the pronunciation would be: MAH – REE – TOTE – ZEE (or MAH – REE – TOTE – ZOE if you only want one)

What Is The Filling Of A Maritozzo?

The filling is where the maritozzi differentiate themselves from American style sweets or pastries. To say that they are filled with whipped cream might evoke the ideas of Cool Whip or some other type of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) infused cream with a ton of sweetness. These are different. As is common in Italy (and probably Europe as well), the level of sweetness is restrained and while there is no mistaking the taste of the delicious whipped cream, you won’t feel like a cavity is immediately making its home on your teeth.

Where Did This Roman Breakfast Come From?

The origin of the maritozzi dates back to the Middle Ages, when pilgrims who were traveling to Rome stopped at taverns along the roads and asked for food. To satisfy their requests, the innkeepers began to prepare sweet breads with raisins, walnuts, honey and other spices. To be clear, when we mention “sweet breads” in this article, I am referring to a brioche, or other sugar sweetened breads, not offal.

Given the long history of this pastry, there is more than one historical account. One version says that the term “maritozzo” derives from the Latin “maritus”, or husband, and the dessert was prepared on the occasion of the wedding as a sign of prosperity and luck for the couple.

Among the other stories that stand out: It is said that, in an ancient romantic tradition, on the first Friday of March, engaged couples used to hide an engagement ring or another gold object in this sweet bread, called maritozzo, a variation of “marito”, with the aim of symbolizing the commitment of the marriage proposal.

Over the centuries, the maritozzo has evolved to become a popular specialty of Roman cuisine. Today, it can be found in many pastry shops all over Rome and at all times of the day, but typically served as breakfast or a snack.

This Roman Pastry Looks Difficult To Eat

Eating a bun filled with fluffy whipped cream is definitely difficult to eat without making a mess or looking like a tourist. You shouldn’t ask for a spoon or fork, because you will definitely get some quizzical looks. The best option is to just cram one end into your gob and try to forget what it looks like. Have some of those nasty wax covered napkins ready for a quick cleanup and immediately grab your cappuccino for cover.

What Pastry Shop Has The Best Maritozzi In Rome?

I am not one to be taken in by “Things To Do” or “Where To Eat” posts that you find on social media. What I’ve found is that the people who post these recommendations are simply following what is popular online, instead of giving an honest assessment of foods they’ve eaten or places they have been.

The truth is you can find Maritozzi all over Rome. It is a popular food in Rome and these sweet pastries aren’t that difficult to create at an acceptable level. Imagine my surprise when I realized that the best Maritozzi available can be found at a Pasticceria popular with influencers, and even better: it’s only a couple blocks from our house.

Why Is It The Best?

For such a simple Roman breakfast, it would seem like there wouldn’t be much difference between the different shops in Rome selling these delicious sweet buns. This is why I went around Rome trying different versions of this same pastry. They are all OK, and if you can’t get to Regoli, try any one that you can find.

If you have the time to get to Regoli, you won’t be disappointed. Theirs are MUCH fresher than other restaurants and you will taste that in the brioche. It is softer, fluffier and you will believe it was made that morning, because it probably was. They are popular, which leads to high turnover, with no time for the bread to get stale.

More Options For A Roman Breakfast