King biscuits. Since 1878.
Krumiri Rossi
Curved in handlebar such as the sovereign mustache, they are an absolute delicacy from the exclusive recipe.
Partly for fun and partly by chance the Krumiri were born. One night, after an evening at the cafe with friends, Domenico Rossi invited everyone to his pastry shop and there, in one mysterious alchemy between ingredients and magic, churned out the former Krumiri. In 1878, as the newspapers of the time attest, Krumiri, the original ones, are already a delicious reality of Italian pastry art. Who knows if Domenico Rossi would have ever imagined, that Krumiri would become the symbol of his farmhouse. From 1884 important awards arrived, from the bronze medal to the Exhibition University of Turin, to the Diplomas of Superintendent of the House of His Highness the Duke of Aosta, of the Duke of Genoa and of the Royal House of Italy in the person of Umberto I; until 1900, when the Grand Diploma of Honor of the Exhibition of Casale arrives. 1953 was the time of Ercole Portinaro, pastry chef from 1920, who took over the company, and then with his son Romolo, when Krumiri expanded the original local dimension, for conquer Italy and the world. In a few years, they would be arrived at the Quirinale, Montecitorio and even at the White House. Without ever changing. The family pastry shop Portinaro becomes a point of reference for many illustrious gourmands. In 1998, USA President Bill Clinton had received a selection of the best products as a gift of Piemonte, but one in particular captured his palate, as he enthusiastically wrote in a letter, thanking for «the wonderful Krumiri». The approach to Krumiri is emotional, immediate, sincere. Today, the company is managed by Anna and her husband Carlo, daughter of the Commanders Romolo and Dorotea Portinaro.
A passion that feeds on the pleasure of doing things so well, as they used to. And to continue one tradition that has become history, infact, in 2021 the Ministry of Economic Development granted the recognition of Historical Mark of National Interest and in 2010 Krumiri obtained the De. Co. from the Municipality of Casale Monferrato. In Milan Krumiri Rossi have been official partners of the hospitality of the Forum of Assago, as regards the matches of the Olimpia AX Armani Exchange Basketball Milan. Flour, fresh eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla and, above all, no water.
It’s just eggs and butter, infact, to soften the dough and to give Krumiri that special and irresistible scent. It has been like this since 1878. Krumiri are produced strictly by hand, from always. It is a simple but delicate workmanship, which requires experience and passion. Fresh eggs are broken manually to preserve the perfect integrity of the yolk then combined with flour, butter, sugar and vanilla; the dough obtained rest in a cool place for a whole day. The shape of Krumiri is much more than a quirk. The long ones knurled dough strips are cut manually and each of them is curved by hand according to the traditional “handlebar” profile, just like the moustache of Vittorio Emanuele II. A tribute by Domenico Rossi to memory of the king who united Italy.
The arrangement on the trays takes place manually as tradition dictates, but that’s not all. A once baked, Krumiri rest for a whole night and the next morning, one by one, they are packed in classic and unmistakable red tin boxes. A slow process, made up of small rituals like any other art form requires. And the magic is done.
In 2023 Krumiri Rossi Portinaro can count the milestone of 70 years of activity since Ercole Portinaro continued the tradition, with the production in via dei Paleologi, just today, in via Lanza 17, but also in the heart of all the fans around the world.