Cities like Viareggio, Putignano, and Venice have historic and celebrated Carnival traditions. Now Rome is inventing one from thin air. The holiday hasn’t been celebrated in a significant way for over a century, but tonight city officials are inaugurating the Carnevale Romano in Piazza del Popolo. From February 6-16 there will be concerts, parades, and performances, culminating with fireworks. This all seems like a pretty stupid idea to me but then again I am a tremendous party pooper. For me, Carnival in Rome seems ridiculous, forced, and unnatural. Carnival foods, on the other hand, are amazing, magical, and wonderful. This is the time of year when bakeries sell frappe (called chiacchiere, bugie, sfrappole, or galàni elsewhere in Italy) and castagnole (fried dough about the size of chestnuts). I wait all year for these confectioner’s sugar dusted treats and take advantage of the short window in which they are sold. Some of my favorite places to buy these typical Roman Carnival sweets are La Deliziosa (Vicolo Savelli, 50), Roscioli (Via Buonarroti, 48), and Regoli (Via Dello Statuto, 60).
You can read more on this topic in my post on Budget Travel.com
Categories: Carbs, Food & Wine, Fried Foods, Gastronomic Traditions, Rome & Lazio, Sweets & Dessert
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I am seriously addicted to the frappe at Roscioli.
Okay, I thought castagnole actually had nuts in them or were made with that chestnut flour.
I had no idea there were little doughnuts. Oh man, this is going to kill my waistline.
February 6th, 2010 at 9:39 amYeah they are amazing. The baked ones are a nice light snack but the fried ones are other level. Castagnole are the original Donut Holes. I only wish there were chocolate ones.
February 7th, 2010 at 1:00 amkatie, those sweets look amazing- i can still remember how they taste. you’ll laugh if i tell you how i first came to know of these sweets- my friend at work kept saying let’s buy ‘goss-ippa, shayma’, come on, we must eat ‘goss-ippa’. how pleased i was when he took me to his neighbourhood bakery in Monteverde to find that ‘gossip’ (chiacchiere) exist and my friend was not half-bonkers! plus, chiacchiere was gorgeous to eat. x shayma
February 8th, 2010 at 5:06 am