Sagre Biscette

Sagra delle Biscette

The best-known of Alassio’s desserts is Baci but there are many others. Biscette are another of Alassio's specialities which you have to try if you visit the town.

So if you happen to be here in April, do not miss the Sagra delle Biscette, a festival held in the little village of Solva in the hills above Alassio. Here, on the beautiful terrace overlooking the sea, you can taste a number of traditional local delicacies, including these famous crispy fritters.

As with many of our local traditional recipes, they are very simple, made from a mixture of flour, water, sugar and wild fennel seeds picked in the hills along the coast of Liguria. Once the mixture has risen, it is divided into lots of little pieces which are shaped into the distinctive S-shape, and then fried in hot oil.

This dessert, which has protected 'De.Co.' status, is deeply rooted in local tradition. Legend has it that in the Middle Ages there was a plague of snakes in the area which forced residents to seek refuge on higher ground. There they met a hermit who used his prayers to drive out the reptiles. In gratitude, the women of the village created these distinctive S-shaped fritters which recall the vanquished serpents.