In one corner with have the D'Onofrio classic. The gold standard. The Paneton that looks down upon all the other Peruvian brands with a knowing teal smirk letting them all know who’s boss.
In the other corner stands - Balocco classic (cousin to the godly MaxiCiok). The mysterious Italian challenger, completely unknown... but painting all kinds of unrealistic expectations with a whopping motherfucking price tag of 43 New Suns.
Paneton vs. Panettone. Peru vs. Italy. Cholo vs. Paisano. A legendary breadloaf clasico! The tension is unbreadable.
Round 1: Day 1 - Fresh out the package.
Bread-wise, almost identical. Balocco might be a little darker, but that's where the differences end. Makes me think that the original Italian D'Onofrio recipe is a little too original.
But then we get to the candied fruit. Balocco is much more balanced as the candied fruit is softer and not overly sweet, working well together between the oranges, raisins and other shit. In contrast, when you chomp on D'Onofrio you will experience spikes in sweetness and crunchiness coming at you from the fruities, especially those red and green fuckers.
What do you prefer... smooth sailing or a little bit of danger and unpredictability? Since this one goes down to personal preference, looks like we start off with a tie.
D'Onofrio 1 : 1 Balocco
Round 2: Day 3 - Refrigerated, 45 second microwave
Well, something has definitely happened. Balocco has aged pretty well, perhaps tasting even better than on the first day! In comparison, D'Onofrio comes off as decidedly drier.
There's no subjective preference here. If you like dry Paneton, go eat some stale bread. Hence...
D'Onofrio 1 : 2 Balocco
Round 3: Day 4+ - Out in the open. No holds barred.
If you are sharing with family, friends or enemies you're looking to plump up, then you most likely won't make it to this point. But I am only one man, and we are talking about 2 kilos of bread.
Taking a look at the nutritional facts, the Italian offer has higher proteins... which might mean more eggs... which might mean better consistency... but that's a lot of maybes and who-the-fuck-knows. So let's just stick to what we know - Italians age better. After a couple of days of sitting around, there's just no doubt that Balocco has more softness, moistness and all that other good stuff that you're looking for from a mature and experienced Panet(t)on(e).
But we knew that already from the previous round. So what's new? Let us consult the cross section:
D'Onofrio on the left, Balocco on the right. And just by looking at the amount of fruit bits, I can't help but feel that D'Onofrio is trying to fuck me over... just a little bit.
D'Onofrio 1 : 3 Balocco
The Verdict
The score paints an accurate picture and there is no doubt in my mind which I would go for when offered the choice between the two. However, there is one big factor to consider when making that choice - price. Is Balocco worth paying for twice the amount what you would pay for D'Onofrio? Probably not. Are both options solid for their price range? Yes.
So unless money is of no concern to you or if there's some sort of radical discount on Balocco (as has been the case in Wong these days), then both of these choices make for a quality top-end carbfeast!
So there you have it. I like Panettone. I find it superior to Paneton. This is my unbiased oppinion and I'm sticking to it. If that doesn't sit well with any of you Choloton lovers, then feel free to approach me in a dark alley and stab me in the kidney with a rusty knife that has been overexposed to Lima's famous humidity. Let's see how that works out for you...
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