Venice's sweet traditions: tiramisu and Carnival fritters.

Visiting Venice, the most famous province of Veneto, during carnival is a unique experience that takes you back in time.
In this festive context, the city transforms into an open-air stage with masks, colors, and sparkling outfits.

The traditional Venetian fritters

The Venetian fritters, the famous "fritoe venexiane" in dialect, date back to the 17th century. In those years, Venice boasted a corporation of 70 fritoleri, each with a specific area of the city where they could prepare and sell fritters. In the 18th century, these delights were proclaimed the national sweet of the Veneto region.

A common practice of the time was to skewer them on sticks, allowing them to be enjoyed hot without greasing the hands. The original recipe included sultana raisins and pine nuts, but over time numerous variations have developed. The Venetian fritters, made with a batter of eggs, flour, sugar, raisins, and pine nuts, are fried in hot oil and sprinkled with sugar.

Their soft texture and enveloping flavor make them a symbol of the Venetian Carnival. While the original recipe is still widely appreciated, many pastry shops experiment with variations featuring creams, fruits, and local flavors.

Tiramisu, a dessert from Treviso

The tiramisu, often associated with Venetian culinary celebrations, has an interesting history. Although some accounts suggest it was created in Treviso in the '60s, recent research from 2016 indicates a possible origin in Pieris, near the bridge over the Isonzo, in 1935.

However, the most widespread version sees its birth in Treviso, thanks to the skills of pastry chef Loly Linguanotto in the '70s.

The classic tiramisu recipe involves the use of mascarpone, eggs, sugar, ladyfingers, coffee, and cocoa powder.
The assembly of the ingredients is done by layering soaked ladyfingers in coffee, alternated with the cream. The finishing touch is a generous dusting of cocoa powder.

Chiacchiere, fried cream, and other carnival delights

In addition to tiramisu, there are several other traditional festive sweets from Veneto.
The chiacchiere, previously known as "frictilia" in Roman times, were produced in abundance during the Saturnalia. The name may vary, but their amazing taste never does. They are fried sweets, light and crispy, perfect for celebrating Carnival.

The fried cream, typical of Veneto, is consumed during the period from Christmas to Carnival. It is a frying of the traditional custard, presented in attractive shapes like cubes or diamonds. This sweet, now considered finger food and street food, maintains a retro charm that combines tradition and modernity.

In addition to fritters and chiacchiere, the Carnival of Venice features other delicious sweets such as galani, crispy and light sweets made with flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Their irregular shapes and generous dusting of powdered sugar make them irresistible.