Even though Carnival has officially ended, the ‘chiacchiere’ are still tempting everyone from the bakery counters in Palermo. The ones that won me over were covered in a white chocolate and pistachio blend, with a pistachio cream filling inside. A true delicacy! Luckily, I’d like to think most of that sugar was danced away over the weekend. Yes, with my incredibly long wig and my special outfit for the occasion. To be honest, I was less elegant than expected, but I danced like crazy at the Carnival party at Villa Igiea. What a fun party and what great music! I never imagined it would be as glamorous as a New Year’s Eve cotillón in Spain. The point is, I had the time of my life, just like a little girl. After all, isn’t that what Carnival is for?
Known by various names across the length and breadth of Italy, ‘chiacchiere’ are the quintessential Italian Carnival sweet. Their origin dates back to Ancient Rome. During the festival of Saturnalia (the Carnival of that era), sweets called ‘frictilia‘ were prepared using a simple dough of flour and eggs.
But… why are they called ‘Chiacchiere’ (chats/gossip)? According to a Neapolitan legend, Queen Margherita of Savoy was chatting with her guests in the palace when she suddenly felt famished. She called for the court chef, Raffaele Esposito, to prepare something sweet. He created these strips of fried dough and, in honor of the Queen’s conversation, named them ‘chiacchiere.’
Ciao ciao, chiacchiere! See you next year!
