lalagia – traditional donuts of the Peleponnese
Lalagia (Λαλάγγια) are the donuts of the Peloponnese! You can grab a bag of these ridiculously addictive authentic fried dough snacks in probably every bakery in all of Messinia and in many Greek markets in the US/Canada too. Whether you enjoy them as a savory or sweet treat, warm from the stove or days later, you’ll soon understand why they’re so popular!
What sets lalagia apart from other Greek fried dough like loukoumades or fried bread (ladopsomo/tiganopsimo) is that the recipe uses olive oil in the dough. Adding this one ingredient makes all the difference and produces the most wonderfully light, crunchy sticks that can be formed into all sorts of shapes. Lalagia are traditionally a Christmas-eve treat and children are often told the rather odd shapes scare off any evil spirits working up mischief on the night before
