Enjoying cenci in Venice for Carnevale

As I hopped on a bus for my next day trip, I ventured out of Florence in hopes of checking another experience off of my bucket list — Venice for Carnevale.

Each year, the celebration lasts about 10 days, starting in late January and continuing until the day before Ash Wednesday. Known for its intricate masks and elaborate costumes, during this time of the year the romantic streets of Venezia transform into a huge, non-stop party. With themes differing from year to year, I was ecstatic to discover that this year’s theme was a topic very dear to my heart: food. After driving through the countryside and snowy mountains of Italy for about three hours, we finally arrived in Venice, the awe-inspiring city that floats atop the water.

Wandering down the winding and crowded cobblestone streets on our way to the Rialto Bridge and St. Marks Square, we stopped in few Murano glass and mask shops until we found our perfect souvenirs of Carnevale. Every direction we looked, there were breathtaking views of antique buildings and beautiful canals with picturesque bridges.

After enjoying paninis in a quaint cafe in St Marks Square with a view of the Doge Palace, we stumbled upon a parade featuring Venetians dressed in typical Carnevale costumes from throughout the ages. Following a relaxing gondola ride down the Grand Canal, we started our journey back to the train station. The streets were filled with colorful paper confetti, people in decorated masks, and the smell of delicious sweets in the air.

One traditional Carnevale dessert I had to try before leaving was cenci, fried or baked rectangular dough with powered sugar sprinkled on top. Crunchy, delicate and sweet, each strip of cenci seemed to melt in my mouth with every bite. Cenci can be found at any pasticceria and can sometimes be referred to as crostoli or chiacchiere. To make this mouthwatering dessert at home, all you need to do is mix flour, eggs, sugar, butter and salt into a dough like consistency, roll out and cut into rectangular strips, and then fry them in oil until golden. Leave the fried pieces on paper towels to cool off and for the finishing touches, dust generously with powered sugar.

I hope you will be able to get a taste of this simple yet delicious Carnevale treat at home — be warned, they are very addicting.

XOXO,

Florentine Foodie