Origliettas (o orilletas)

Origliettas. Foto di Marcello Pau, Laore Sardegna

*Origliettas* (also known as *orillettas*, *orulettas*, *rugliettas*, or *lorigliettas*) are fried pastries made from thin dough and coated in honey; they are traditionally produced during the Carnival season. The product is common in north-central Sardinia and Gallura, though less prevalent in the Campidano region. Sources trace their origins to the period of Spanish rule, noting similarities to fried dough pastries still found in Iberian confectionery.

The name is of Sardinian origin: *origlia* means "ear," referring to the rounded, bulbous shape the pastry takes during frying. This etymology reflects the most common version of the treat, although the variety of shapes found in different areas means the name is not universal. In Orune, for instance, the pastry takes a different form and is known as *montecada* or *montagada*.

The dough is made from durum wheat semolina, water, lard, and salt, with the optional addition of eggs, citrus zest, or *acquavite* (grape spirit), depending on local tradition. While the composition resembles that of *pasta violada*, the proportions are adjusted to create a particularly thin, elastic sheet of dough, rolled out until almost translucent. This sheet is cut into strips about two centimeters wide using a pastry wheel; each strip is then hand-shaped—knotted, braided, or spiraled—and fried in oil or lard. Once drained and cooled, the *origliettas* are dipped in warmed honey to ensure an even coating, then arranged on plates or trays to set. The quality of the honey used determines the final result: bitter and aromatic strawberry-tree honey is preferred in some areas of Barbagia for the contrast it creates with the sweetness of the dough, while in other towns, wildflower honey from the *macchia* or asphodel honey is preferred.

Bibliography

U. Dessy, Sardegna: segni della cultura popolare. Quartu Sant’Elena, Alfa Editrice, 1983.
M. L. Wagner, La vita rustica della Sardegna riflessa nella lingua. Nuoro, Ilisso, 1996.
S. Spiggia, Le Api nella Tradizione Popolare della Sardegna. Sassari, Carlo Delfino Editore, 1997, pp. 57-64.
Dolci in Sardegna. Storia e tradizione. Nuoro, Ilisso, 2011.
G. Marongiu, Mandigos, gustos e licanzas. Selezione di ricette della tradizione orale della Sardegna. Vol. 1, Cagliari, Agenzia LAORE, 2020.
S. Paulis, Dolci in Sardegna. Nuoro, Ilisso, 2024

Update

11/9/2026 - 15:07