Beyond Zucchini: the Rare Foods Starting with Z You Didn't Know Existed

An essential feature on Beyond Zucchini: the Rare Foods Starting with Z You Didn't Know Existed, including in-depth facts.

The sweet ledger under Z leans heavily into old European baking traditions. Few preparations test a pastry chef's whisking endurance quite like the classic Italian zabaglione dessert (spelled sabayon across the French border). Originating in the royal courts of Piedmont during the late Renaissance, this custard relies on three simple components: fresh egg yolks, fine granulated sugar, and fortified sweet wine, traditionally Sicilian Marsala.

The cook whips the ingredients continuously in a copper bowl set over a gentle water bath. As heat transfers through the metal, proteins in the egg yolks untangle and expand, trapping microscopic air bubbles. Within eight to ten minutes of rhythmic beating, the liquid billows into a warm, glossy, spoonable cloud. Served warm over macerated berries or chilled into coupes alongside crisp ladyfingers, zabaglione represents minimalist pastry engineering.

Across southern Italy, street corners honor mid-March with zeppole pastry. Linked closely with Saint Joseph’s Day (Festa di San Giuseppe) on March 19, these round choux-pastry pastries are either deep-fried in hot oil until golden or baked for a lighter crumb. Once cooled, bakers pipe rich vanilla pastry cream or sweetened ricotta through the fluted center, topping the treat with a tart preserved Amarena cherry and a dusting of powdered sugar. The contrast between crispy, airy shell, rich cream, and tart fruit makes it a perennial bakery favorite.

Rounding out the bakery shelf is zwieback toast. The name translates literally from German as "twice-baked" (zwei and backen). Originally baked as a soft loaf enriched with eggs, milk, and sugar, the bread is sliced thin and returned to a low-temperature oven until moisture evaporates completely. What emerges is a brittle, incredibly shelf-stable rusk. Historically carried on military marches and sea voyages across Central Europe, zwieback found modern fame as a gentle food for infants cutting their first teeth and an easily digestible biscuit served alongside hot tea.