Mangia e bei

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Mangia e bei are traditional Italian focaccia bread rolls originating from Prato. These small and soft rolls are made with flour, eggs, sugar, fat, and yeast. The dough is left to slowly rise on strips of soaked cotton. It's then divided into small mounds and cooked in a wood-fired oven. Once the rolls have cooled, a hole is indented in the top, which is then filled with mint or citrus syrup, so you can eat ( mangia ) and drink ( bere ) at the same time. These rolls were traditionally produced for the Prato Fair in September, but nowadays they are only prepared for special occasions and national holidays.