Pionono

Pionono (also spelled pianono in the Philippines) refers to a range of sweet or savory baked goods found in Granada, Spain, the Philippines, South America, and the Caribbean. The name comes from the Italian form of Pope Pius IX, Pío Nono.

History

The pastry was first created in Spain by pastry chef Ceferino Isla. In 1897, he opened a shop called Casa Ysla in Santa Fe, Granada, and made a sweet pastry named after the pope.

In 1916, a sample was offered to King Alfonso XIII by an individual whose name is not consistently recorded in historical sources, though some accounts attribute the offering to a figure other than Pedro Galatino. The king reportedly enjoyed it so much that Casa Ysla was named an official supplier to the Spanish royal household. The royal crown was added to the shop’s logo and later removed during the Second Republic.

Spain

In Spain, piononos are small cakes from Santa Fe, a town near Granada known for the Capitulations of Santa Fe between Columbus and the Catholic Monarchs. Each pionono consists of a thin layer of sponge cake rolled into a cylinder, soaked in syrup for a sweet, soft texture, and topped with toasted cream. They are usually eaten in one or two bites.

Philippines

In the Philippines, the pastry is commonly spelled pianono and is a type of Swiss roll. A sheet cake made from eggs, sugar, and flour is baked, cooled, and spread with jelly or other fillings, then rolled.

The traditional filling is a mix of sugar and butter (or margarine), similar to other Filipino mamón sponge cakes. Modern versions are often frosted and may use various fillings. A related dessert is Brazo de Mercedes.

Argentina

In Argentina, piononos use a spongy dough of sugar, butter, and flour. This base works for both sweet and savory pastries, with fillings like dulce de leche or ham and cheese. While similar to those in other Latin American countries, Argentine piononos are known for being more versatile and internationally popular.

Across Latin America and Cuba—including Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru—piononos are made from a dough of flour, eggs, and sugar, baked into a thin sheet and rolled around a filling. Sweet versions often use dulce de leche, sometimes with walnuts, or strawberries with chantilly cream.