‘Melania effect’ lifts Slovenian cake

UNTIL a few days ago, it was an obscure cake from Slovenia. But a quip by Pope Francis about Donald Trump’s girth has catapulted the Slovenian dessert putizza, also known as potica, to international attention.

It is being dubbed “the Melania effect” – as it was to the First Lady, who was born in Slovenia, that the Pope made the joke last Wednesday, when the Trumps visited the Vatican for the first time as part of their nine-day international trip.

“What do you feed him, putizza?” the pontiff asked, in an apparent attempt to make small talk.

The Pope is a big fan of the cake and often mentions it when he meets Slovenians.

Slovenia has decided to capitalise on the dessert’s new fame by seeking official European Union recognition to protect “the original recipe” for the sticky cake much as Italy has called for protection for Neapolitan pizza, prosecco and tiramisu.

The aim is to standardise the many different versions of putizza, which is traditionally made with butter, eggs, nuts, chocolate and “skuta”, a sweet cheese similar to ricotta. Poppy seeds and raisins are sometimes included.

If the EU agrees to protect the dessert, only bakeries and patisseries which stick to the official recipe will be able to call their product Slovenian potica or putizza.

Born Melanija Knavs, the First Lady left Slovenia in her twenties to pursue an international modeling career.