Chiacchiere are the typical sweet of the Carnival. They have very ancient origins and different names in almost all regions of Italy.
The origin of Chiacchiere is lost in the mists of time and is traced back to ancient Rome, where they were called "fritcilia" because they were fried in pork fat and produced in large quantities on the occasion of the Saturnalia to resist during the period which in the Christian tradition equivalent to Lent.
“A perfect example of how a common heritage can be declined within the various regional cuisines and still remains a carnival tradition to be handed down.”
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, after chatting for a long time, was seized by a sudden hunger that prompted her to ask the court cook, Raffaele Esposito, to prepare them a sweet, for which the name of Chiacchiere was chosen.
They can be covered with honey, cocoa, or even washed down with alchermes (Italian liqueur used above all for dipping desserts, its red color is considered the elixir of life) or served accompanied by dark chocolate (originally black pudding because it was flavored with blood fresh from the pork which gave it that slightly acidic aftertaste).
By now there are many recipes that are found around lies, there are those who make them in the shape of knots or bows or those who have even decided to make them stuffed, as if it were a bundle that holds something precious inside!