Pitigliano, Sovana, and Sorano

Food Tradition: The Jewish History Behind Sfratto dei Goym

Sfratto dei Goym is a traditional stick-shaped pastry from Pitigliano, Tuscany, with a name that translates to “eviction of the goyim” (non-Jews).

The History: In the early 1600s, Cosimo II de’ Medici issued an edict that forced all the Jews in his territory to live exclusively within the Jewish Ghetto of Pitigliano. The duke’s men went house by house, knocking on the door of every Jewish citizen and demanding they move to the ghetto. The men carried a stick – lo sfratto – which was later recreated in biscuit form as a way to commemorate this traumatic event.

The Pastry: It’s a thin pastry made with flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and spices, with a filling of honey, walnuts, nutmeg, and citrus peel. The 20-centimeter-long baton shape directly mimics the messenger’s stick. Originally served on Rosh Hashanah “to ward off the possibility of future evictions and as a wish for a good, sweet year,” it’s now enjoyed year-round and protected as a Slow Food Presidium, symbolizing the cultural fusion between Jewish and local Tuscan traditions.