Ganses are the knots of fried sweet dough of the Nice Carnival and Mardi Gras, dusted with sugar and scented with lemon zest or orange blossom water.

The Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur tourist board calls ganses a typical recipe of the Carnaval de Nice and of Mardi Gras, fritters in the family of bugnes and oreillettes. The City of Nice recipe makes a rested dough of flour, eggs, butter and lemon zest, rolls it to 1.5 to 3mm, cuts strips about 2cm by 10cm, ties them in knots, fries them and dusts them with sugar. The card says they are made all year but above all at festivals and Carnival; the 2027 Carnaval runs from 9 to 28 February.

Where to eat Ganses in Nice

The editor picks for Ganses in Nice are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Nice signature-dishes index or the Nice food guide.

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Make it at home

Serves 83 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 250g flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • A pinch of salt
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • 40ml milk
  • 80g softened butter
  • 10g baking powder
  • 20ml orange blossom water (optional)
  • Oil for frying
  • Caster or icing sugar to finish

Method

  1. Heap the flour on a work surface, add the beaten eggs, diced butter, zest, orange blossom water if using, baking powder, salt and a little milk. Work the dough for five minutes.
  2. Wrap it and rest it for at least two hours.
  3. Roll the dough 1.5 to 3mm thick, brush off excess flour, cut strips about 2cm wide and 10cm long and tie them in knots.
  4. Fry the knots in hot oil until coloured, drain on paper and dust with caster or icing sugar.

Editor tip. Rest the dough for at least two hours before rolling, as the City of Nice recipe says, and fry the knots only until they take colour.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg.