Every 3rd of February, for the Feast of Saint Blaise, in any bar counter or home table in the village, you cannot miss the “Cuccureddi di San Vilasi.” These are small, unsalted pasta wheels shaped like a large unclosed “O” with spread-out ends. Saint Blaise is the patron saint of throat illnesses, and in ancient times, to express gratitude for their healing, the faithful brought these sweets to the church; they were blessed and then distributed to the villagers.
The ingredients to prepare cuddureddi are:
- water,
- durum wheat flour,
- lemon zest,
- olive oil,
- sugar,
- sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle them,
- seed oil for frying them.
The preparation is done using the following procedure: bring the water, lemon zest, sugar, and oil to a simmer in a saucepan; when the first bubbles appear, add the flour and continue stirring for two minutes; pour the mixture into a bowl and, after letting it cool, take some and roll it lengthwise; press lightly in the center and cut the strips into approximately 7 cm; form rings and close them at the ends. Fry for about 5 minutes and serve with sugar mixed with cinnamon.