The global fashion magazine May 5, 2024
Volante
Frittelle are served only during Carnevale, and this year, Stanley Moss believes he’s found the best source of them in Venezia
Photographed by Paula Sweet
Fresh egg, and good butter are the critical ingredients to the dough
A short trip to the fryer and they’re perfect
Pane di Via Fuga’s bakers know best
Like all good Venetians, we wait patiently for the short-but-gratifying Carnevale season when a unique heritage confection is available in our community, starting at the end of December and lasting through the first week of February, culminating in Mardi Gras. A regional treat, the written recipe dates back to the second half of the 14th century and hasn’t changed much since then, a heady combination of flour, water, piñoli nuts, orange zest, butter, baking powder, eggs and raisins, which is deep-fried, then rolled in sugar. Simple enough.
Frittelle can be found in all the pasticcerias, where the traditional Venexiana style, garlanded in granulated crystals, coexists with modern versions filled with custard, crema, chocolate, Nutella or other flavoured gooey stuff. But it’s the classic empty one, fresh out of the deep fry, served warm and slightly gelatinous like a souffle, where you can savour the delicate, eggy mass at the centre that really rewards the palate and the senses. Nothing goes better with an espresso liscio.
We’re so enamoured of this delight that we seek them out everywhere in search of the best. They can be dry and dense, on the doughnutty side, or less buttery. We’ve tried them all over Venezia, from the elegant Café Florian in San Marco to the legendary baker Toletta, to our great pals at Rizzardini near Rialto. This year, we discovered that our local baker on Lido, Il Pane di Via Fuga located across from the ferry terminal near Santa Elisabetta, delivered the most delectable result, absolutely impeccable, impossible to stop munching after the first. By the end of the season we were bringing home wrapped trays of a dozen. You can freeze them, it’s true, but most never get that far. They’re gone in hours. And now once again it’s a mouth-watering wait until next December for more. •
Stanley Moss is travel editor of Lucire.
Related articles hand-picked by our editors
2024 Carnevale in Venezia
Paula Sweet joins the buzz and the colours of this year’s Carnevale
Photographed by the author
Carnevale in Venezia
A special promotion at the Luna Hotel Baglioni in Venezia. On Friday, February 12 you can be part of the ‘Ball of the Baglioni Counts’ and on Saturday the 13th attend the Great Carnival Ball, writes Stanley Moss
Letter from Venezia, July 2020
Travel editor Stanley Moss is finding the quietness of Venezia particularly conducive to his art
