Chiacchiere, bugie, frappe, and cenci. No matter the name, they are a similar Carnival snack—thin, deep-fried strips of a liqueur-enriched dough that are tossed in sugar and munched upon during the festivities. In Venice, arguably home to Italy’s most famous Carnival celebration, they’re known as crostoli or galani. 

But these aren’t the only sweets worth their weight in zucchero for this occasion. Yeasted doughs fried in oil produce mouth-watering sugar-dusted fritters, and dessert dumplings show up as hearty and sweet ravioli, or tortelli, often deep-fried and stuffed with dried fruits, chocolate, nuts, and sprinkled with extra sugar…or marzipan.