Which one did you buy? What did you taste? Which is the best? In the last 10 years, artisan panettone has become an obsession for Italians. Come mid-November, and earlier each year, it’s all anyone talks about. TV shows, tastings, awards, and local and international competitions have turned Milan’s traditional holiday dessert into a national Christmas symbol.

Thanks to Italian emigrants, it’s also historically known worldwide (the top producer by volume isn’t even Italian, but Brazilian!). Everyone talks about panettone, but there’s another omnipresent sweet bread on Italian tables from North to South: pandoro. Too bad that few, very few, know it outside Italy, and it’s still a bit of an underdog come Christmastime even within the country.