Sabatino Sirica, ambassador of Neapolitan pastry worldwide: the master of sweets, more than eighty years old, has welcomed celebrities for years in his own shop, where he now celebrates 70 years of career.
The story
With his 82 years and a track record that would make anyone envious, Sabatino Sirica celebrates 70 years of career this year. Born in Sarno in 1941, from a young age Sabatino began attending various workshops in Naples and its surroundings, where he learned and refined his pastry techniques and knowledge until he opened his own business in 1976 in San Giorgio a Cremano.
Passion, hard work, and study quickly made him known and appreciated not only beyond the borders of Campania but also throughout Italy, as a true ambassador of Neapolitan pastry worldwide, as reported by Positano News. Thanks to his sfogliatelle, babà, pastiere, and countless other sweet creations, Sirica was appointed a Knight of the Republic by President Giorgio Napolitano.
However, this is just one of the prestigious awards received by the pastry chef from Sarno. In June 2011, Sirica was appointed president of the Association of Neapolitan Pastry Chefs, a position he held with dedication until the end of his term; since the '80s, he has collaborated with the "Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli,'' as well as with the "Circolo Canottieri Napoli"; he has participated in various RAI programs such as "Uno Mattina," "Il Processo del Lunedì," and "Ti lascio una canzone" by Antonella Clerici.
On May 31, 1992, he received the Minerva Award; in December 2007, he received the Struffolo d'Oro; in 2011, in San Giorgio a Cremano, he was awarded the "La Terza Napoli, La Città che Eccelle" prize; in 2015, he received the Masaniello Award, leading up to last February when his sfogliatella ranked 1st in the list of the best sfogliatelle in Italy.
Satisfaction for Sabatino, however, also comes from overseas, where in 2011 he held "Lessons in Neapolitan Pastry" in New Jersey, and in 2014, he conducted a seminar for North American chefs at the "Don Antonio" pizzeria in New York. Pride in his career is immense, but as they say, "happiness is real only when shared." Thus, from the beginning, Sabatino has made his art available for numerous charity initiatives. As a "pastry friend of Unicef," Sirica participated in fundraising for numerous humanitarian emergencies, from Darfur to Haiti, during the tsunami, and in support of Syrian children.
Cover portrait by Mulino Caputo
