Acciuleddi sardi, the recipe for typical carnival sweets

A simple and irresistible dessert that combines taste, recovery and local identity

Perfectly braided little bundles, fried golden and shining with their coating of warm honey. The intoxicating scent of honey, combined with the aroma of lemon and orange zest, make the fried dough treats known as acciuleddi – from ‘acciola’, which literally means ‘skein’ in the Gallura dialect – one of the most popular and beloved of Sardinian sweets. A large number of versions can be found all over the island, but the original recipe comes from coastal villages in the north east, in Gallura, where acciuleddi are never absent from festive tables, especially during Carnival season and throughout spring.

A few simple ingredients combine with the skill of the cook to make this simple treat, eaten rigorously with the hands and followed by licking of the fingers which, if the acciuleddi are made properly, will be dripping with melted honey. The traditional Gallura recipe includes eggs, but in many places these braids of fried dough were originally made with ‘violated’ dough, i.e. containing lard, left over from other recipes, such as seadas (fried cheese and honey pastries) or panadas (savoury pasties). Nothing was thrown away, especially dough, which was turned into these little bundles, like two-stranded plaits, and fried in boiling oil before being doused in honey and decorated with coloured sprinkles to delight the children. They are are known by a range of names on the island – azzuleddhi, mengadagas or trizzas – but all share the same appeal: undeniable deliciousness.

While seadas, the cousins of acchiuleddi, are not to everyone’s taste due to the cheese they contain, it’s extremely unusual that these little fried braids are rejected. And once you start eating them, one leads to another.