The Calabrian turdilli (or tudiddri) with fig honey are a real delicacy. These desserts, which resemble Neapolitan struffoli in shape, absolutely cannot be missing from the tables during the Christmas holidays. Typical traditional desserts, Calabrian turdilli are covered with fig honey or, alternatively, with bee honey or with a sugar or chocolate glaze. Fig honey is, as they say, "the icing on the cake", because it is a true gastronomic specialty in Calabria, where good food is at home. Once upon a time, during the summer, women used to prepare fig honey. Today, this custom is little practiced, and this delicious honey is mostly purchased. Obtained by cooking figs, it is also excellent for accompanying mature cheeses, for covering mostaccioli and other typical Christmas desserts.
From the Immaculate Conception to the Epiphany, "fried food" is prepared in Calabrian homes
Calabrian turdilli, which can be prepared baked or fried, are easy to make and require simple and easily available ingredients: flour, cooked wine, extra virgin olive oil and fig honey. They have the characteristic shape of gnocchi, but are much larger. They are usually prepared starting from the Immaculate Conception, when traditionally, women begin to fry the typical desserts of this period: turdilli, scalille, chinulille, pitta 'mpigliata. After kneading and cutting the turdilli into chunks, they are shaped into gnocchi, scooping them out with the tines of a fork or with the classic ridged board. Then they are dipped in still hot fig honey. The ancient recipe for Calabrian turdilli does not include the use of eggs or the addition of yeast.
Ingredients
To prepare Calabrian turdilli you need the following ingredients: 500 g of 00 flour; 120 ml of extra virgin olive oil; 100 g of cooked wine; 100 ml of water; the grated zest of two oranges; cinnamon; a pinch of salt; Seed oil for frying; fig honey.
The recipe for Calabrian turdilli
Pour the olive oil, vin cotto and water into a saucepan and heat them. On a work surface, sift the flour, create a well and pour the aforementioned ingredients into the center, adding the salt, the grated orange zest and the ground cinnamon. Knead until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough. Create 2 centimeter thick loaves and cut them into pieces approximately 5 centimeters long. Remove the turdilli like the gnocchi and fry them in plenty of hot seed oil. Drain them on absorbent kitchen paper and pass them into a pan in which you have heated the fig honey. Eat them after letting them rest for a few hours. As already mentioned, Calabrian turdilli can also be prepared in the oven. In this case, after kneading and shaping the turdilli, you need to bake them in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 25 minutes. Once ready, they can be dipped in fig honey and, finally, if you prefer to give a touch of colour, you can decorate them with sugar devils. The result will certainly be amazing. Enjoy your meal!
(Photo: We Calabrians who… Socio-cultural association, Facebook page)
