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Easter season is here, which is a good occasion to write something about the ''baba'', a tall, rich yeast cake traditionally served in Poland for Easter breakfast. But before we move on to the Polish ''baba'', let's take a look at the ''babà al rum'', which the Neapolitans consider their unique regional speciality.

A ''babà al rum'' is a kind of oversized cupcake that is baked, usually more than one at a time, in a can-shaped mould so that the dough rises over the edge to form a mushroom-like shape. Once it's done, removed from the mould and allowed to cool down, the ''babà'' is soaked in syrup mixed with some rum (hence the ''al rum'' in the name) or ''limoncello'' (local lemon liqueur). Neapolitans prize this delicacy so much that the word ''babà'' has become a synonym for anything or anyone that is particularly sweet and attractive. This is what Ms. Carla Nuti, an Italian psychologist who describes human personalities by comparing them with desserts, has to say about the origin of the ''babà'' and its name:

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