The pope appeared to catch Melania Trump unawares on Wednesday morning when he asked her whether she fed her husband a popular Slovenian cake.
Melania was accompanying the US president on his visit to the Vatican when Francis asked “What are you feeding him, potica?”.
The first lady appeared to quizzically reply “pizza?” before smiling and answering “yes”.
The exchange, quickly dubbed “pizzagate” by reporters in the busy Holy See press office who also misheard the pope, was eventually explained by a Vatican spokeswoman with the help of a Slovenian journalist. “I cannot tell you whether she said pizza, but he definitely said potica,” the journalist said after watching and rewatching a video of the incident.
Melania Trump’s staff also confirmed to AFP that Francis had produced a custom-made joke for her benefit.
According to the Vatican spokeswoman, Francis loves potica and always mentions it when he meets a Slovenian.
Potica – pronounced po-teet-sah – is traditionally served at Easter and Christmas. A type of nut bread made from yeast dough, it is typically spread with a mixture of ground walnuts, butter, eggs, cream and honey or sugar, although Slovenians often use tarragon to flavour the sweet version of the pastry, making it an unusual regional speciality. Once the dough has risen, it is rolled flat and then lengthways to create its distinctive spiralled effect. It is baked, traditionally, in a round clay pot.
The cake was first mentioned by Primož Trubar, a Lutheran priest who published the first books in the Slovenian language in the 16th century. It is considered an important part of Slovenian heritage and has twice featured on the country’s postage stamps.
Janez Bogataj, a Slovenian ethnologist and potica expert, has called for the recipe to be given protected status using EU legislation, so that only products originating from Slovenia can be identified as potica. He also wants a selection of 40 fillings, both savoury and sweet, protected along with the basic recipe.
Melania Trump’s mistake is perhaps understandable given her husband’s well-known love of fast food, and this memorable Pizza Hut commercial.
