torciata di san giuseppe

Last week was Father’s Day in a bunch of countries other than Australia.

Father’s Day in the Maremma is extra special because it’s also the Torciata di San Giuseppe in Pitigliano.

The Torciata is one of the area’s best known and most beloved festivals. Italy’s Father’s Day falls on the feast day of the somewhat neglected St Joseph, Jesus’ (I guess what you’d call) adopted dad. 

The festival might be dedicated to him, but it has much older, pagan roots. In fact, it’s a celebration of spring.

torciata di san giuseppe pitigliano

In the weeks before 19 March, Pitigliano’s residents build a six metre tall puppet out of hay and string. He’s called invernacciu and he’s the demon of winter.

At 10pm on St Joseph’s day, men in hessian robes carry lit torches to Piazza Garibaldi. They set fire to invernacciu in front of a huge crowd of people and the medieval court of old Pitigliano.

torciata di san giuseppe5

torciata di san giuseppe 3

Once the very evocative burning sight has spent, the women of Pitigliano gather the ashes as good luck charms to scatter over the new season’s harvest.

Naturally it’s very mean of me to boast about an incredible event that’s already past, but I thought I would share my favourite part of the festival. The frittelle di riso.

frittelle-di-riso-maremma-tuscany

Frittelle di riso are a traditional Father’s Day sweet. They’re prepared all over the Maremma, but are specially cooked up and served alongside red wine in the hours before the invernacciu is set alight.

This recipe is from an old Maremman cookbook called Aggiungi un piatto a tavola. 

frittelle di riso maremma tuscany

Frittelle di riso

  • 250g white rice
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • zest of half a lemon
  • 5 eggs
  • juice of half an orange
  • 1 tbsp butter, extra
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 3 cups flour
  • canola oil for frying
  • extra caster sugar for dusting

Boil the rice in the milk and water. Add the butter and lemon. When the rice is soft and mushy, leave to cool overnight.

Separate the eggs. Mix the yolks in a big bowl with the rice, reserve the whites. Add the orange juice, butter and sugar to the rice mixture. Add the flour slowly until you get a nice thick batter. You mightn’t need all the flour.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites to a stiff peak with a pinch of salt.  Add to the rice mixture. If the mixture becomes a bit wet, add more flour. Leave for 30 minutes. 

Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan. When it’s hot enough to toast a piece of bread, add tablespoons of the mixture and fry until golden brown. Remove from the oil, drain on absorbent paper and roll in caster sugar just like you’d do with a doughnut.

Enjoy hot or cold!

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