Taralli


Taralli are toroidal Italian snack foods, common in the southern half of the Italian Peninsula. A cracker similar in texture to a breadstick, a pretzel, or a sushka, taralli can be sweet or savory. Sweet taralli are sometimes glazed with sugar. Savory taralli may be flavored with onion, garlic, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, fennel, pepper, chili or just salt. Sweet and plain taralli are often dunked in wine.

Overview

Taralli are classically formed into rings or ovals about in circumference. Smaller taralli, called tarallini, with a circumference of, are sold commercially. According to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers: The Story of Success, "Sweets such as biscotti and taralli used to be reserved for Christmas and Easter; in Roseto they were eaten year-round."
Ingredients for one commercially sold tarallini brand: wheat flour, yeast, water, olive oil, fennel seed, black pepper, salt, anise flavor.