This Cheesy Italian Fried Dough Is One Of Florence's Favorite Street Foods

We don't need to tell anyone even remotely interested in food that Italian cuisine is one of the world's most popular, diverse, and distinctive categories. From elaborate dishes to irresistible snacks and sweets, there's much to discover. Of the many Italian bites you need to try at least once, one of the most quintessential and supremely delicious is coccoli Fiorentini con prosciutto e stracchino, meaning "Florentine coccoli (fried balls of dough) with prosciutto and stracchino cheese."

This coccoli, which can be a street food or restaurant appetizer, is truly an icon in Florentine — a term that simply means "from Florence" — fare. The word "coccoli" translates literally to "cuddles," and these fried dough balls do indeed feel like warm little hugs. They're about the size of dumplings; served hot, they've got a crispy exterior to crack into — with just the right amount of grease — where you'll find both fluffiness and chewy doughy-ness all at once.

You can eat them however you prefer, from plain to paired with just about anything, but the authentic Florentine tradition is to team them with velvety, salty, savory strips of prosciutto and rich, creamy stracchino cheese. With each bite, you get a beautiful balance of flavors and textures.

Coccoli began as a street food, sold by side-street vendors and "friggitorie," or fried food joints, throughout Florence. Over time, the dish became more common at casual Tuscan restaurants as a snack or appetizer. If you know your different types of Italian eateries, you know trattorias are sit-down restaurants but relatively frill-free spaces that are laid-back. These spots, along with enotecas, like wine bars, are where you're likely to find coccoli with prosciutto and stracchino. You may also see them at Florence's famed food markets, like one of Rick Steves' favorite European food halls.

Many Florentines have long made coccoli as a way to make good use of leftover pizza dough rather than wasting it. Not only is that sustainable, but it's extra tasty, too. The resulting coccoli have that satisfying toothsome and salty quality that pizza crust has.

Different Italian regions have different fried dough interpretations, from gnocchi fritto dumplings in the Emilia-Romagna region to the doughnut-like zeppole of Sicily. Coccoli made from pizza dough is Florence's answer to this decadent snack, one that's only made dreamier with meat and cheese. The stracchino is similar to a buffalo mozzarella: slightly salty with just a hint of tanginess, and overall creamy and milky — it's just too perfect of a pairing.