THE LEGEND OF THE PASTIERA
Even more legendary and mythological the history of the siren Partenope that enchanted by the beauty of the gulf, extended among Posillipo and the Vesuvius, you/he/she had fixed his/her abode there. Every spring the beautiful siren emerged from the waters to greet the happy people that populated the gulf cheering her with songs of love and joy.
Once its voice was so melodious and sweet that all the inhabitants remained spellbound of it and abducted: they realized toward the sea moved by the sweetness of the song and the words of love that the siren had devoted them. To thank her/it for a so great beloved, decided to offer her how much more precious they had.
Seven among the most beautiful young girl of the villages were entrusted of to deliver the gifts to the beautiful Partenope: the flour, strength and wealth of the country; the ricotta, homage of shepherds and pecorelle; the eggs, symbol of the life that always renews him; the tender wheat, boiled in the milk, to test of the two kingdoms of the nature; the water of flowers of orange tree, because also the perfumes of the earth were accustomed to make free; the spices, in representation of the people most distant of the world; finally the sugar, to express the ineffable sweetness lavished by the song of Partenope in sky, in earth, and in the whole universe.
The siren, happy for so many gifts, it was sunk for making return to his/her crystalline abode and it deposed the precious offers to the feet of the gods. These, inebriated them also by the sweet song, they gathered and they mixed with divine arts all the ingredients, turning them into the first Pastiera that overcame in sweetness the song of the same siren.
HISTORY OF THE PASTIERA: You tells that Maria Teresa Of Austria, consort of the king Ferdinando II° of Borbone, nicknamed by the soldiers "the Regina that never smiles", surrendering buontempone to the insistences of his/her/their husband, famous for his/her greediness, complied to taste a slice of Pastiera and you/he/she could not make to less less than smile, pleased to the bonaria mockery of the King that its evident satisfaction underlined, in to taste the Neapolitan specialty. It seems that to this point the King exclaimed: "To let my wife to smile us took the Pastiera, I must now wait for the next Easter to see to smile her/it again."
Maria Teresa Of Austria
HISTORY OF THE PASTIERA IN RHYMES
To Napule Ferdinando reigned
Ca passed and' jurnate zompettiando;
Mentr' instead to' mugliera, 'Onna Teresa,
Steva sempe arraggiata. To' does suspended
Or' musso luongo, nun redeva maje,
Passed Comm'avess so much guaje.
Nù bellu juorno Amelia, to' cammeriera
The dicettes: "Majesty, chest'è to' Pastiera.
It likes and' femmene, to the uommene and e'creature:
Eggs, ricotta, wheat and water king ciure,
'Mpastata insieme or' sugar and to' flour
To it is able purtà nnanz o'Rre: and also' to Rigina."
Maria Teresa facett to' ugly face:
Mastecanno, receives: "And' o'Paraviso!"
And it also escaped her or' laughed pizz'a.
Then or' Rre dicette: "And that marinates!
Does Pe make to laugh to tte, us vò to Pastiera?
My wife, vien'accà, damme n'abbraccio!
Sweet Chistu you it likes? And mò there or saccio
I order to the cook that, to partir of now,
Stà Pastiera makes more often her a pò.
Alone Nun to Grazes, that is otherwise a damage;
pe you fà to laugh adda passà n'at' year!"
"Currite, giuvinò! Ce stà 'a pastiera!"
E' nu sciore ca sboccia a primmavera,
e con inimitabile fragranza
soddisfa primm 'o naso,e dopp'a panza.
Pasqua senza pastiera niente vale:
è 'a Vigilia senz'albero 'e Natale,
è comm 'o Ferragosto senza sole.
Guagliò,chest'è 'a pastiera.Chi ne vuole?
Ll' ingrediente so' buone e genuine:
ova,ricotta,zucchero e farina
(e' o ggrano ca mmiscato all'acqua e' fiori
arricchisce e moltiplica i sapori).
'E ttruove facilmente a tutte parte:
ma quanno i' à fà l'imposto,ce vò ll'arte!
A Napule Partenope,'a sirena,
c'a pastiera faceva pranzo e cena.
Il suo grande segreto 'o ssai qual'è?
Stu dolce pò ghì pure annanz' o Rre.
E difatti ce jette. Alludo a quando
il grande Re Borbone Ferdinando
fece nu' monumento alla pastiera,
perchè facette ridere 'a mugliera.
Mò tiene voglia e ne pruvà na' fetta?
Fattèlla: ccà ce stà pur' a ricetta.
A può truvà muovendo un solo dito:
te serve pe cliccà ncopp ' a stu sito.
Màngiat sta pastiera,e ncopp' a posta
dimme cumm'era: aspetto na' risposta.
Che sarà certamente"Oj mamma mia!
Chest nunn'è nu dolce: è na' poesia!"