Carnival, time to chat

The delicious fried sheets sprinkled with icing sugar are the Carnival dessert par excellence together with Castagnole. Depending on the Italian region in which they are prepared, they take on different names: Bugie in Piedmont, Chiacchiere in Puglia, Sicily and Calabria, Crostoli in Veneto, Cioffe in Abruzzo, Frappe in Rome. All descend from a single and unequivocal progenitor, which dates back to an ancient tradition, that of frictilia, sweets made from eggs and flour fried in pork fat that in ancient Rome were prepared by women to celebrate the Saturnalia (a holiday that corresponds to at our Carnival). This dessert was served to the crowd who went to the street to celebrate the carnival, and since it was easy to prepare, they could make large quantities in a short time and at a low cost.

But there is also an anecdote that brings them back to the city of Naples and to the figure of Queen Savoy who one day, lingering in chatting, was seized by a sudden hunger that prompted her to ask the court cook, Raffaele Esposito, to prepare them. a dessert, for which the name of Chiacchiere was chosen.

Sprinkled with sugar, dipped in chocolate or honey, fried or baked, declined in numerous variations, the Chiacchiere have reached our days through the centuries.

Crumbly and crunchy, full of bubbles, with a thin pastry yes, but tasty and perceptible on the palate, light as a cloud and without grease, despite being fried when they make a crock they literally melt on the bite!o!