… and other ancient Tuscan traditions

“Semel in anno licet insanire” (once a year, it is allowed to act like crazy) – our ancestors used to say on February, during the most bizarre and outgoing celebration of the year.

The Carnival season is a tradition that we are carrying on since medieval times, when jesters used to run through the village, encouraging people – who were then oppressed by the system and used to live in extreme poverty – to parody the values of the society they lived in, and the authority of the severe political and religious commandments, by inverting the roles and creating the Backwards World, where they could disobey the rules and become whatever they wanted for a day, wearing the “clothes” of the character they were joking on, living in redundancy and acting like fools in the cheapest and most rumorous possible way.

This playful rebellion helped them get ready for Lent, the 40-day period of fasting and self-discipline where they’d give up meat and other practices to purify their bodies and souls before Easter. In fact, the word Carnival seems to have Latin origins, as “carne levare” or “carnelevarium” means “giving up on meat”, a practice apparently dated back to the Romans era.

To keep up with such a big commitment, people in the Middle Ages celebrated Carnival not just with jokes and feasting, but mostly by indulging in rich, greasy meals, pints of wine, and the sweetest desserts.

In Tuscany, we’re very connected to our old traditions, and thankfully, some of them are still a big part of our culture. When Carnival rolls around, local bakeries fill their counters with delicious sweet and fried treats, along with the traditional Tuscan dessert, which still has its original Renaissance recipe. We’re talking about the Berlingozzo (berlinˈgɔttso), a soft, moist, and flavored donut cake with one of the easiest and simplest recipes ever, just like our grandmothers used to make!

Origins of the name

This carnival dessert, disguised as a breakfast donut, used to be served on Fat Thursday, which in Florence was the day known as Berligaccio. This funny word, was the name of a fifteen-century Tuscan mask, used in Florence during Fat Thursday. It was represented by a mascot carried through the city’s streets, with loud shouts, colorful dances, and funny acting.

Just like “Carnevale”, it seems to have a Latin origin, from the word “berlengo,” which means “table.” This takes us back to the feasting and overindulging tradition of the Medieval period.

We also have a verb descended from it, that you can easily find in most of Boccaccio’s tales, as a proof of the ancient origins of this Tuscan custom. It’s “berlingare,” and it means to chat or talk nonsense after having a big meal and lots of wine. Giovanni Boccaccio, the local and most famous Late Medieval novelist, poet, and humanist from Certaldo, used this verb a lot in his works, especially when talking about or describing a female character, because he thought women were so gossipy about everything.

“lasciamo stare l’alte e grandi millanterie ch’ella fa quando berlinga coll’altre femmine”(…) “Ma solamente per voglia di berlingare (…) di che ella è vaghissima, sì ben dir le pare” – Il Corbaccio (Laberinto d’Amore) di Giovanni Boccaccio

 “forget about her great bragging about (herself) she does when she chatters with other females (…) But only for the wish to chatter is she famous, even if she thinks she speaks out right” – Il Corbaccio (Laberinto d’Amore) by Giovanni Boccaccio

The Tuscan Berlingozzo

Fat Thursday is just around the corner, and after sharing all the fun things about this special time in Tuscany, we couldn’t let you go without trying some delicious Tuscan Carnival treats. As we get ready for our traditional feast next February 23rd in Certaldo, we’re excited to share the joy of making and enjoying this classic Tuscan dessert with you. So, let’s not keep talking and come to our delightful donut!

It all starts with a couple of fresh egg yolks, beaten with sugar until they’re light and fluffy, mixed with lemon zest and a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice, some extra virgin olive oil, and a nice cup of Vin Santo, that’s the secret ingredient!

We love our Carnival desserts to be sweet and flavorful, but our ancestors didn’t have any artificial flavors back then. They simply used the ingredients they had at home, which is what makes it so special. Therefore, we follow the old ways and add our own homemade Vin Santo, a type of Italian dessert wine usually made from white grape varieties like Trebbiano and Malvasia. It’s hung and left to dry on racks in a warm, well-ventilated area. If you ever visit Certaldo or any part of Tuscany, you can taste this wonderful sweet wine with our traditional homemade almond cookies, which we serve as a dessert at the end of your meal. It’s one of our most important landmarks here, so don’t miss it!

Now, we’re adding the flour, which we’ve mixed with a bit of potato starch and a sprinkle of salt, along with a touch of baking powder. Next, we’ll gently fold in the beaten egg whites and pour the dough into a donut-shaped baking tin. Then, we’ll pop it in the oven for about half an hour to bake. That should give us plenty of time to relax and enjoy a glass of Vin Santo while getting our masks and costumes ready for the feast. Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh eggs
• 75g. Sugar
• 1 lemon
• 50 ml. Vin Santo
• 50 ml. Extra virgin olive oil
• 150 g. Flour
• 25 g. Potato starch
• 6g. Baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt

What you need 

• 20 cm. diameter baking tin

Method

• Preheat oven to 170 C degrees
• Bake for about 25-30 minutes

Enjoy!