Published:
Author: Antonio Maria Guerra
Venetian Galani
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE CARNIVAL SPECIALTY
The Venetian galani, also known as chiacchiere or crostoli in other regions of Italy, are one of the most popular specialties in the lagoon city during its colorful Carnival celebrations. Let’s find out all there is to know about these delicious fried pastries dusted with icing sugar: from preparation to variations, from calories to combinations… and much more! Enjoy reading!
What are Venetian galani?
Venetian galani, known in other parts of Italy as crostoli or chiacchiere, are sheets of sweet pastry flavored with a dash of grappa and a hint of vanilla, fried until crispy, and then sprinkled with sugar. These thin, golden strips, whose recipe has been handed down from generation to generation in the calli of the lagoon city, have become one of the most sought-after delicacies during the annual Carnival celebrations in La Serenissima, along with the equally famous ‘frittelle’.
Let’s find out the history of Venetian galani and many curiosities in the article we dedicated to the exquisite carnival specialty.
When are Galani sold in Venice?
In Venice, the commercialization of galani should, at least in theory, begin on the day after Epiphany and end on Shrove Tuesday. This is an optional rule that is often ignored.
Venetian Galani: recipe. (hints)
Let’s discover how the original galani are made in Venice, every year, during Carnival. It’s a recipe that has been handed down for centuries, with only small variations (that can be considered true ‘family secrets’).
01 – Prepare the dough with flour, eggs, sugar, salt and grappa. As it comes together, add the melted butter and fresh whole milk. Continue to knead the dough until it becomes elastic.
02 – When ready, wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
03 – After resting, roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Then use a cutter to make a thin sheet (the sheet must be folded in on itself and passed through the cutter several times).
04 – Cut the dough into strips about 25 centimeters long. If you like, you can make small flakes with these strips, otherwise, keep their rectangular shape.
05 – Fry the galani in peanut oil at 180°C for about 4-5 minutes on each side until they get a golden brown color.
06 – Drain the galani on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
07 – Dust the galani with caster sugar or icing sugar.
N.B. For more detailed information, visit one of the many sites dedicated specifically to illustrating recipes.
The preparation of Venetian galani in video.
This video shows (in a very nice way) how to prepare the original Venetian galani, step by step. Our thanks go to the YouTube channel Chef Stefano Barbato, author and owner of the film.
Venetian galani: the ingredients.
The main ingredients for preparing Venetian galani are:
Read more
- 00 flour;
- Sugar;
- Butter;
- Eggs;
- White grappa;
- A pinch of salt;
Some families also add:
- Grated lemon peel;
- A pinch of vanillin;
- A tablespoon of white wine or Marsala (as an alternative to grappa);
Variants of Venetian galani in Italy and Europe.
As explained in the article we have dedicated to the history of the specialty, galani can be by all means considered the great-grandchildren of a dessert that was very popular during the Roman Empire: the ‘frictilia’. This empire, at the height of its expansion, extended far beyond the Italian peninsula. It’s, therefore, no coincidence that very similar recipes, probably derived from the frictilia, can be found in various places, even far from Venice.
It almost goes without saying that their names change according to their location. Here are a few examples relating to the Italian regions:
- ‘Crostoli’: mainly in Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto Adige;
- ‘Sfrappole’: in Emilia;
- ‘Frappe’: mainly in Lazio, but also in parts of Emilia;
- ‘Cioffe’: mainly in Abruzzo;
- ‘Bugie’: mainly in Liguria and Piedmont;
- ‘Cenci’: mainly in Tuscany;
- ‘Chiacchiere’: Campania;
Other tasty variants can also be found outside Italy:
- ‘Raderkuchen’: Germany;
- ‘Minciunele’: Romania;
- ‘Chrusciki’: Poland;
- ‘Oreillettes’: France;
- ‘Khvorost’: Russia;
Venetian galani: calories and nutritional values.
Venetian galani are quite high in calories: frying and sugar contribute significantly to the calorie intake, which is around 450/500 kcal per 100 grams of product.
Read more
In terms of nutritional value, they contain mainly carbohydrates and fats, especially saturated ones, a modest amount of fiber, and a small amount of protein.
Baroque music for galani.
The baroque music of the Venetian Antonio Vivaldi is undoubtedly the ideal accompaniment to the reading of an article about galani.
Venetian Galani: pairings.
According to the guidelines of the AIS (Italian Sommelier Association), the pairing of wine with a sweet dish should be based on the principle of ‘concordance’, i.e. sweet wines with sweet dishes. The ideal accompaniment for such a dish, in this case also fried and slightly oily like galani, should be a sweet, fresh wine, capable of enhancing the delicacy of these delicacies without overpowering it. That said, there are many possible choices: for example, a Moscato d’Asti, light, aromatic, and slightly sparkling, or a Recioto di Soave, with its pleasant acidity, or even a Passito di Pantelleria, with its typical aromatic notes of candied fruit and honey.
Pasticceria Rizzardini: contacts.
Below are the contact details of Pasticceria Rizzardini, the oldest pastry shop in Venice, with whom we collaborated on this article.
Contacts
Address: Sestiere San Polo 1415 Campiello dei Meloni – 30125 Venezia
Tel. : +39 041 522 3835
Copyright information.
The images displayed in this page belong to WebFoodCulture and Pasticceria Rizzardini, with the exception of:
Public Domain images
- ‘Antonio Vivaldi’, oil on canvas, 1723, unknown author (Wikipedia Link) {PD-Art} {PD-US}