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Published 00:10 20 Dec 2016 GMT
They argue in Southern Italy about cannoli in the same way we do here in Ireland about the perfect pint of Guinness.
The perfect product is always being sought after, and with the difference in quality vacillating wildly between outlets selling them, they occupy the exact same cultural position as our own creamy pints.
The dessert – tubes of pastry around a sweet creamy filling – is originally from Sicily, and for the most part that is still where you will find the best ones on the world.
You'll get them further North in Italy and indeed around the world now too but just like Guinness they don't seem to travel that well and always taste better at source.
Finding them in Ireland has always been close to impossible but I come today with good news.
Dolce Sicily is a small basement restaurant in a basement on Dawson Street – one we've covered before, in fact, albeit not for their sweet treats.
I went for a large fat cannoli and had it to go with a coffee. It was sprinkled with fresh pistachios and as soon as I bit into the wonderful creamy texture I knew they were the real deal. Crunchy, flaky, sweet, rich and fatty tasting cream and the perfect accompaniment to a deep rich black coffee.
Our country has been taken over by an Americanisation of our food – doughnuts, huge brunch dishes, burgers and Texan burritos. I'm not exactly complaining about this, of course, but it would be wonderful to see something like the simple cannoli become trendy.
Not that all of them could ever taste this good.
Whatever happens you need to eat these once in your life, and this is as good a place as any to start. If you already a fan then you will be blown away by these ones.
Not quite as good as in Sicily itself but bloody close.
