Neapolitan Semolina Cake

In medieval Italy, the cakes known as migliaccio were prepared not as a dessert but as a dietary mainstay. Leftover millet mush (“miglio” means “millet”) was augmented with whatever nutrient-dense food was on hand; often, that meant calorie-, protein-, and iron-rich pig’s blood. The rustic mixture was poured into a pan and hearth-baked to create a filling, wholesome snack.

“There was something pan-Italian about it,” explained Danielle Callegari, Professor of Italian and Food Studies at Dartmouth College. “Everyone across the peninsula would have been making it in some way.” Callegari said the practice continued through the centuries until a “hard shift” occurred in post–World War II Italy: More-affluent cooks didn’t wait for leftovers to bake the cake, now lightly sweetened with sugar or honey, from scratch. Many also abandoned the pig’s blood (though it’s still part of the recipe