A Taste of Modena you have to experience!

“Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries”
– Ray Henderson & Lew Brown, 1931

There’s something about an American cherry pie that’s unlike anything else. The aroma alone transports me straight back to my childhood and to my grandma’s kitchen in Downers Grove, Illinois.

My grandmother passed away when I was a little girl, yet I have vivid memories of her cherry trees, heavy with fruit, and her kitchen lined with jars of home-canned cherries. Food memories are some of the most evocative, often stretching back to childhood. I explored this in one of my earliest podcast episodes, “Food Memories”.
https://flavorofitaly.com/flavor-of-italy-podcast/food-memories/

For me, cherries are one of those memory triggers — both in America and here in Italy.

From Cherry Pie to Crostata alle Visciole to Bensone

While American cherry pies hold a special place in my heart, Italy has its own remarkable cherry traditions. Almost any time of year, you’ll find Crostata alle Visciole — a tart filled with tangy sour cherry jam — on restaurant menus across the country.

If you ever visit the Modena area in late May or early June, plan a short trip to nearby Vignola to taste its famous cherries fresh from the tree. These Ciliegie di Vignola IGP are so prized they’re protected at the European level, grown in 28 towns between the provinces of Modena and Bologna.

Cooking with the Piombini Family in Modena

In April 2019, I spent nearly a week cooking with the Piombini family at their Cà del Rio farm and cherry orchard in Formigine, near Modena. Their property also includes a small 16-room hotel and a charming restaurant:
https://www.cadelrioresort.it

The Piombinis are a large, warm-hearted family — four daughters, their children, and the nonni. Ivo Piombini, the young grandfather, has tended his cherry orchard for over 30 years. In 2018, his cherries won the prize for the best in the region.

During my stay, I spent an entire day canning cherries with the family and making all kinds of cherry preserves and desserts for their restaurant. Everything they serve is homemade, and perhaps the most delicious thing we baked together was il bensone.

A Sweet Tradition from Medieval Modena

Bensone (sometimes called bensòun in the local dialect) is one of the oldest desserts from Modena, dating back to medieval times. Traditionally, it’s made either plain or filled with dark fruit jam — usually plum or sour cherry. Originally, it was sweetened with honey before sugar became common.

There’s even an annual Sagra del Bensone festival held the first week of July in Nonantola, a small town outside Modena. Stalls line the streets offering different takes on this simple, luscious cake.

Historically, bensone was baked every year on December 1st to honor San Eligio, the patron saint of blacksmiths and goldsmiths. Families prepared the cake as an offering for these artisans — a sweet gesture of gratitude and good fortune.

Sour Cherry Bensone Recipe

If you’d like to recreate this beloved Modenese dessert, below is my printable version of the Piombini family’s handwritten recipe - slightly adapted - with the traditional visciole (sour cherries) and jam that give it such beautiful flavor. You can order the same Italian Fabbri cherries I use:

Sour Cherry Bensone: A Taste of Modena

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Bensone is one of Modena’s oldest and most beloved traditional desserts, with roots that stretch back to the Middle Ages. This rustic cake is typically filled with dark fruit preserves, most often plum or sour cherry jam, creating a rich contrast to its tender pastry. Today it is often decorated with sugar pearls or colorful sprinkles, but centuries ago honey was the preferred finishing touch.

The cake is so deeply woven into local culture that it is celebrated each year during the first week of July in the town of Nonantola, just outside Modena. During the annual Bensone Festival, visitors can stroll through the streets and piazzas sampling and purchasing freshly baked versions of this cherished specialty.

Historically, Bensone held an important place in community life. It was traditionally baked on December 1, the feast day of Saint Eligius (San Eligio), patron saint of blacksmiths and goldsmiths. Families prepared the cakes as gifts and offerings for the skilled artisans whose work was essential to daily life, making bensone not only a delicious dessert but also a symbol of gratitude and local tradition.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Ingredients

400 g 3¼ cups “00” or all-purpose flour
180 g ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
Zest of 1 untreated lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
180 g ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
25 mL 1½ tablespoons whole milk
150 g ½ cup sour cherry jam
100 g ⅔ cup pitted sour cherries
1 egg white beaten
¼ cup white sugar pearls or coarse sugar

Special Equipment

Parchment paper
Plastic wrap
Baking sheet

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest.
Add the melted butter, milk, and eggs, mixing until a soft dough forms.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently until smooth. If it becomes sticky, dust lightly with flour.
Divide the dough into two balls, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the first ball between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle about 34 cm (13 in) long, 16 cm (6 in) wide, and ¾ cm (¼ in) thick.
Remove the top parchment and spread the cherry jam evenly to the edges. Scatter the pitted cherries over the top.
Roll out the second piece of dough to the same size and carefully place it over the jam layer. Seal the edges with your fingers.
Transfer the bensone (still on parchment) to a baking sheet.
Brush with the beaten egg white and sprinkle generously with sugar pearls.
Bake 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden. If it browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
Cool to room temperature before slicing.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Bensone is wonderful as dessert, but it’s equally perfect as an afternoon snack or with coffee in the morning.

A Surprising Pairing: Cherries and Cheese

Most people think of apples or pears as the ideal fruits for cheese, but cherries can be just as divine. Try pairing them with a soft Brie or a Tomino — a delicate cow’s milk cheese from Piedmont. The combination is unexpectedly delicious.