Christmas is the festival in which traditions are rediscovered and relived. Customs of distant times, handed down from generation to generation, is jealously guarded as if they were precious jewels. Thanks to some holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, and Carnival, the customs remain vivid. Cooking is undoubtedly an excellent way to preserve traditions, as gastronomy plays a fundamental role in Italian culture. To realize this, think of the typical dishes that are the symbol of certain holidays.
The country’s cooking peculiarity also lies in the fact that in Italy, the dishes and traditions vary significantly from region to region, but also from family to family. For example, in the South, the Christmas Eve dinner based on fish is very common, while in the North, the focus is mainly on the Pranzo, the lunch on December 25th.
In the Aosta Valley, we find the “mocetta” with honey and rustic crostini bread among the starters. Mocetta is a very ancient salami, typical of the area, with a very intense and aromatic flavor. The Valpellinene soup is the classic Christmas soup, enriched with Savoy cabbage, Fontina cheese, fresh broth, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Among the second course, we find the “carbonade” beef left to cook in red wine with spices, then served with polenta.
Polenta is also consumed for a typical Friulian cuisine dish, “la brovada e muset,” or a soup of turnips and cotechino, the famed holiday sausage. The region also boasts a widespread use of tripe. Among the first courses of Friuli Venezia Giulia, we also find the particular plum gnocchi, with pitted plums and sugar, then sautéed in a pan with fresh butter. Among the Christmas sweets of this region, we see the Gubana, a round cake with a filling of raisins, walnuts, pine nuts, and liqueur.
Lombardy is the region of Panettone, the Christmas cake known all over the world. Pickled fruit Cremona mustard accompany the appetizers from this region. Pumpkin tortelli, a typical Mantuan pasta, is often prepared on Christmas Eve and usually for lunch on December 25th. Fresh broth commonly pairs well with pasta, such as “casoncelli alla bergamasca,” which loves turkey broth. Baked eel is a well-prepared second course for the Christmas holidays. Consuming eel is the removal of evil from the family table according to pagan belief.
(Image) Casoncelli via Lorenzo Vinci Gourmet
In Piedmont, agnolotti squares of pasta enjoy a filling of mixed meat, cabbage, pepper, and Parmigiano. Initially, agnolotti was accompanied with a meat and vegetable sauce, while today they are eaten with a straightforward sauce, such as butter and sage. Among the recipes of this region, we find the mixed boiled meat, a must on the table at Christmas. A cold sauce called Salsa Verde with parsley, garlic, anchovies, capers, eggs, bread, and vinegar, pairs well with the mixed meats, both others as well.
(Image) Zelten via Giallo Zafferano Blog
On the tables of Trentino Alto Adige, we find canederli in broth, while the typical dessert is “Zelten,” with raisins, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, figs, and candied fruit for decoration. Ironically Zenten translates to “occasionally” in Germanic because made ones or twice a year. Try yours this year!
