This savory snack is a specialty of Liguria and the historical region of Lunigiana which today falls within the provinces of La Spezia and Massa Carrara. Sgabei, in plural form, denote strips of fried leavened dough which are most often simply salted and enjoyed as they are.

For a more substantial snack, sgabei can be filled with cold cuts and cheeses, and there are also sweet varieties typically filled with either pastry cream or Nutella.