cuddrurieddra

These fried potato and flour doughnuts, cuddura comes from the ancient Greek κολλύρα (kollura) or small bread ring, and often served at the night before the feast of the Immaculate Conception (7 December), but also throughout Christmas. They are somewhat like Spudnuts, which were a sensation in the US in the 1960s.

There are sweet ones with sugar, but also savoury versions, with cheese, sausage, pepper flakes, sun dried tomatoes etc.

Other names in various parts of Calabria are crespelle, crispelle, zippuli, fritti, grispeddri, cururicchi, curujicchi, curijicchi, cullurialli, cullurielli, grispelle, cuddrurieddru, cuddrireddi, nacatole, zippuli, zeplee, zippuile, fritti, vissijnièddri, vissiniddi, grispedde or vecchijareddre.

The cuddrurieddra di Delia, made in Caltanissetta province in Sicily, have no spuds, but are made with wheat, eggs, wine, sugar, orange peel and cinnamon and fried in olive oil the old fashioned way (with a special decorative dough 'crown'), in homage to the chatelaine of Delia, who was stuck in her castle during the War of the Sicilian Vespers; they are in the Slow Food Presidium.

Also see ciambella.