Rolled sponge cake filled with chocolate or jam.
The ingredients for making the sponge cake are:
- 300 g flour
- 300 g sugar
- 6-10 eggs
- the juice or zest of one lemon and, if desired, a packet of baking powder.
The filling consists of chocolate or jam.
The weight ranges from 0.700 to 1.200 kg; annual production ranges from 15,000 to 30,000 pieces.
Salame del Re, a traditional product of the Aniene Valley and, in particular, the Subiaco area, originated between the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was produced exclusively for consumption by the nobility, as chocolate was, at the time, a precious and extremely expensive foodstuff that was therefore forbidden to the lower middle classes.
It retained this name even when, later on, it became the most popular dessert at important occasions such as baptisms and weddings. Artusi also gives a recipe for it under the name of English salami. Even today, it is considered a product of fine workmanship and inimitable taste.
