71. Veroli doughnut
History
The Veroli Ciambella is one of the most iconic dishes of the culinary tradition of this town in the Ciociaria region. Its history is linked to home cooking and the culture of bread-making, when families would prepare a few simple ingredients to accompany festive occasions and moments of togetherness.
The tradition is particularly deeply rooted in the Santa Croce neighbourhood, where housewives used to make these ciambelle for New Year’s Eve. Made from bread dough and baked in wood-fired ovens, they were a simple food yet one that strongly embodied the local identity.
The recipe has been passed down through the generations, keeping alive a heritage of skills and knowledge that still links the Ciambella di Veroli to the history and traditions of the local community.
The product
The Veroli Ciambella is a baked good with a distinctive ring shape, traditionally made with flour, water, yeast and salt, and flavoured with aniseed. One of its distinctive features is the double-baking process: after being shaped, the ciambelle are immersed in boiling water and then transferred to the oven, where they finish baking and take on their characteristic golden colour. The result is a rustic, fragrant ring cake with a distinctive aniseed aroma, embodying a tradition deeply rooted in Veroli’s culinary culture.