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Carnival: traditions in pastry making

26 February 2025
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Carnival Chiacchiere: all the names of a dessert that gets talked about

If there is a dessert that everyone agrees on at Carnival, it is undoubtedly the Chiacchiera. Crispy, golden and covered in icing sugar, this fried delight crosses Italy with a thousand different names, just like a harlequinade of flavors and traditions. But why so many names? The answer is simple: each region wanted to put its personal touch on it, making the chatter not just a dessert, but a real story of local traditions, underlining different aspects and customs.

Le Chiacchiere in Italy: a journey through names

In Piedmont, for example, they call them Bugie, but in the Alessandria area they become Gasse, in the Cuneo area Risòle and in the Vercelli area Gale. Sliding into Val d’Aosta, however, we find the Merveilles, a name that already makes you dream. And Liguria? Here, the Bugie confirm themselves as protagonists, except in the Imperia area, where they prefer to call them Cròstoli. In Lombardy there is no lack of imagination: in Bergamo we find them as Galarane, in Brescia they become Saltasù (perhaps due to the lightness with which they are sautéed in boiling oil?), while in Mantua they are transformed into Lettuces, perhaps due to their crunchy thinness and their appearance. What if we go even further down? In Veneto and Trentino they become the Gròstoi or Galani, while in Emilia Romagna we indulge in the Fiocchetti (Rimini), the Intrigoni (Reggio Emilia), the Sprelle (Piacenza) and the Sfrappole (Modena, Bologna and Romagna). In short, different names for the same irresistible sin of gluttony!

Carnival Fritters: another delicious tradition

But Carnival wouldn’t be the same without another protagonist: the Carnival Fritter. This too, like the Chiacchiere, has a long and fascinating history. Born in Venice in 1300 and consecrated as the national dessert of the Serenissima in 1700, its production was an art reserved for a real corporation, that of the fritoleri. With its dough rich in raisins, pine nuts and sugar, the Frittella was fried in large pans and served with plenty of sugar. An icon so loved that it ended up in the pictorial works of Carlo Goldoni and Pietro Longhi.

But why are Carnival desserts generally fried?

The answer is simple: in winter, after the pigs were slaughtered in November, there was plenty of lard, the perfect ingredient to add crunch and flavor to the kitchen. And so, between a Chiacchiera and a Frittella, Carnival becomes a feast for the eyes and the palate.

And you, what do you call them?

E tu, come le chiami le Chiacchiere e le Frittelle? Qualunque sia il nome, una cosa è certa: non possono mancare sulla tavola di Carnevale! Alla Fenice trovi entrambi questi gustosi dolci per festeggiare il tuo Carnevale, con un’ampia scelta di gusti: Chiacchiere al pistacchio e al caramello, Frittelle in sei tipologie diverse come crema, pistacchio, cioccolato, mele e ricotta. Ti aspettiamo!

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