Baicoli are thin, oval, twice-baked biscuits that have been a Venetian staple since at least the 18th century. Their name likely comes from baicolo, the Venetian dialect word for a small lagoon fish they resemble in shape and pale color. The dough, made from flour, sugar, butter, and yeast, is first baked as a small loaf, left to rest and dry for a day or more, then sliced thin and baked a second time. This double baking removes nearly all moisture, giving the biscuits an exceptionally long shelf life and a dry, crisp texture that softens easily when dipped in liquid. That durability made baicoli practical provisions for the Republic of Venice's merchant fleet and, later, the Italian navy, since they resisted mold and spoilage on long voyages far better than fresh bread. Colussi, a company founded in 1911 by Vittorio Colussi near Venice, became the biscuit's best-known producer, packaging baicoli in the recognizable metal tins still sold in Venetian grocery stores and pasticcerie today. Locals eat baicoli plain or, more often, dipped in caffelatte at breakfast, since the biscuit is too dry and neutral to eat comfortably on its own. As a dessert, baicoli are served alongside zabaione, a warm custard of egg yolks, sugar, and marsala wine, or paired with a glass of sweet Recioto for dunking. A tin of Colussi baicoli, roughly 250 to 400 grams, costs 3 to 6 EUR at supermarkets and grocery stores around the city.