Taralli - where have you been all my life?
A Christmas gift included what seemed to be a lifetime supply of tarallis: fennel, black pepper, red pepper. But they are delicious and now they are gone. These Italian, pretzel-like unsalted snacks need a major shout-out. They seem to be Brooklyn- centric and a mail order item. And there are sizes, flavors, and styles. Can anyone weigh in on their faves?
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By no means Brooklyn centric: any well stocked Italian grocer will have them, as will large markets like Fairway in NYC. The brands available vary in quality and freshness, but at their best, they are indeed addictive, esp., for me, fennel-flavored. You can also sometimes find a Neapolitan version--larger, thicker, laced with black pepper and pork fat, sometimes almonds; these are wonderful bought in Naples, from open air stands by the sea wall.
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Cheese Boy
Jan 14, 2011 10:30 PM
Taralli can be savory or sweet. Fennel, black pepper, red pepper, and plain are the most widely known flavors of taralli in Puglia. Some bake masters (not all) include white wine in their preparation, but I prefer mine without. Other people dunk these in wine at the table, fwiw. Taralli are indeed a Pugliese treat, but imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon some in a Greek bake shop and saw the flavor selection and smelled their aromas, wow -- incredible. The Greeks refer to these treats as "savory cookies", and the flavors they offer is nothing like the Italian varieties some of us are accustomed to. Try these newfound flavors: onion, spinach, oregano, parmigiana, and carrot.
Whether you're eating Greek or Italian taralli, be sure to refrigerate them to help retain their freshness. I wouldn't want them going stale on any of the readers here. I will also add that the best taralli are those made with the best evoo. EVOO is a definite key ingredient for good taralli. Avoid pale taralli for just this reason. Good evoo will bake up nice and golden brown.
Taralli Greek style --> http://www.artopolis.net/bakery/savor...
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We had these all of the time growing up, my grandma and her sisters and friends would make huge batches of them. It's the only cookie (we always referred to them as a cookie, but they were never sweet, always peppery) that people would actually hide to keep the guests from scarfing them all up. Like any addict, my mother or my aunts or uncle would sneak into a side room and grab a few to scarf out of sight of others who might try to eat some of their stash.
I made them once along with a great aunt, but it's been years now.
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BiscuitBoy
Jan 13, 2011 12:23 PM
my grandmother and her cronies made'em too...never knew you could buy them, and never had anything but the pepper variety. We called them dog biscuits in our house, as they can get to be pretty darn tough to chew
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re: BiscuitBoy
Veggo
Jan 13, 2011 12:44 PM
My brother allready ordered more for me, from Aroma Antico, www.taralli.com.
Not at all tough to chew and compellingly addictive. I look forward to trying the garlic sometime.
Hey, with your name, you are supposed to be the CH expert on these matters! -
re: BiscuitBoy
EM23
Jan 13, 2011 02:22 PM
Speaking of dog biscuits, the first time I had a taralli was several years ago when dog sitting for a friend. In addition to giving me dog food for her pup for the week my friend brought a package of fennel taralli for me. She told me it was her dog's fav treat and it was ok to give the pup a taralli treat here and there.
It was me against an 7lb. Shiz Tzu for those taralli - they are delicious and addictive.
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re: c oliver
Tarailli, one of the great treats from Puglia. Actually they are not hard to make, just a couple of steps. We make them for "special friends" at Christmas. they are great with Red Wine. the only troubling step when first learning how to make them is the ring separating when you boil them prior to baking, tip, do not crowd them when in the boiling bath. During baking bake until golden, then lower the heat as low as your oven will go for a few more hours, or until dry, (crispy), all the way through.
Veggo you are right you make a huge amount and they always disappear!!!!!!
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