People from the mountains seem to love fondue. Even some of the vegetables enjoyed throughout Piemonte are all but unheard of outside Italy. The filling, warming nature of it is perfect when it’s cold outside, and it’s easy to keep it bubbling away throughout the night to be enjoyed by anyone. Despite its popularity among Americans, many Italians do not even know about the tradition — or its origin. Italians shouldn’t eat meat on Christmas Eve, cause Catholic tradition implies that you shouldn’t eat meat before the festivities in general. Epiphany is also important in Italy. Christmas is just around the corner and if you’re celebrating an “Italian Christmas” then you’ve most likely heard of the Feast of the Seven Fishes.. But you know that I’m going to give you an Italo-centric Christmas post. When I found this question of yours on the Interwebs I had to ask some of the true Italians I know, and they had as much of an idea of the concept as me. Especially in the South, traditional food for this evening are broccoli with garlic, oil and lemon, spaghetti with clams, fried salted cod, big fried eels, boiled cauliflower with olives, anchovies and capers. If you are not an Italian Catholic and have ever wondered what it was all about, here is a bit of insight. The Feast of the Seven Fishes is something that dates backs to the first Roman Catholics, but today is something that isn’t really celebrated in Italy itself. So I headed to Italian restaurant Union Street Café in London to talk to the chefs there and find out about some more of the traditional Italian Christmas recipes they cook when they go home. We take a big sheet of pasta and put the stuffing inside, which at Christmas is usually Fontina cheese, but you can use any leftovers mixed with egg, Parmigiano Reggiano, and spinach. Many many appetizers is also very important. It varies for every family. Along with the fancy lights, wreaths and trees, presepi (nativity … Going all the way down the Christmas traditions in Italy route, you can’t find anything better than the feasts, and the more feasts really, cause Italian traditions are made for gaining weight, especially being there are so many of them. That’s how you know that you’re really in Italy with those tasty tasty flutes. A traditional Christmas Eve dinner is a meal that consists of seven seafood items, but some Italians have up to 13. A strict fast is observed for 24 hours before Christmas, and then an elaborate feast is served on Christmas Day. We finish it off with grated sturgeon roe, similar to bottarga.". The menu may also include pasta, vegetables, baked goods and wine. Morning Tea . Discover the varied food traditions observed in Italy during the Christmas period, and how each region approaches the festive season Italians do not eat bacon, eggs, toast or pancakes for breakfast. And that is to eat - a lot. What do Italians eat on Christmas Eve? In Puglia, sweet wine is one of the flavors most associated with Christmas and is used as the basis for two of the region’s most beloved festive treats, cartellate and vinocotto. Just think about Christmas in Italy as the end of all your diets, between Baccalà, Cannelloni, Stinco di Maiale con patate, the Filetto in Crosta, I mean just pick up those diets after the Befana. For Christmas Day the menu runs regionally, and with enormous diversity, with traditional dishes ranging from tortellini or natalini in brodo (or the local version of tortellini) to lasagna (or both); from baccalà (cod) to anguilla (eel), and from cappone (capon) to … By Jamie magazine • November 23, 2015 • In Christmas. Potatoes. Christmas is a major holiday in Italy… which means Italians celebrate lots of great, unique Christmas traditions! 1. Mostly the Neapolitans play the Tombola in the Christmas period, I mean you need a break from all the food really. Traditional Italians eat 7 different kinds of fish for Christmas. It’s not uncommon that in any family 4 to 8 pieces are bought or received as a gift in the festive season. That’s why there is Santo Stefano a Christmas tradition in which you invite all your friends over and eat the leftovers, and guess what? Italians celebrate New Year's Eve, known as the Vigilia, Capodanno, or Festa di San Silvestro, with a cenone (big feast).This celebratory meal often features several courses and lasts for many hours. We usually overcook it, then use the flesh to flavor a flan or soufflé or simply serve them boiled.". CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. It goes so well with the deep fried dough.". In December we’d finish them off with a little sugar syrup and they’d turn out like limoncello but all sorts of different flavors. So you’ve been looking for that apartment in Italy and after finding a gazillion of them you’re a bit stressed out, and probably thinking that you want to bail on the whole idea of coming over. Christmas bonus. Another way that Italians enjoy panettone doesn’t involve slicing it at all. Usually on this day, retailers lower their Panettone prices in order to get rid of them quickly. Capitone (eel) The "capitone" is the female eel, and it is named like that because of the larger size of … This is a thick syrup made from ten liters of grape juice, which is then reduced down to just one, so you end up with a kind of golden nectar from the gods! Ask most people what Italians eat for Christmas, and they’ll almost always say panettone; it’s one of the few specialities that have started to influence Christmas celebrations in other cultures. It is mostly seen in southern Italy and Sicily, where fish is the most abundant, and each area celebrates in their own way. And today Italians continue the tradition, singing carols in front of nativity scenes during the 8 days running up to Christmas known as the Novena (16 th to 24 th Dec). The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated January 6 with a national holiday in Italy, and the tradition of La Befana are a big part of Italian Christmas celebrations. They’re usually made of cheese, but at Christmastime in Piemonte, they enjoy a much more savory dip made of quintessential Italian ingredients, called bagna cauda. ", Davide says anyone after a gutsy hit of umami will be in culinary heaven, and it’s the perfect dish for feeding a crowd. Sfincione is a traditional foccacia bread from Palermo, in Sicily, that was first baked by nuns in the San Vito monastery, and historically served over the festive period. Surprised? Now it seems more common to have meat at an Italian Christmas dinner, with many eating turkey and … Italians also cook fish on Christmas Day, not just Christmas Eve. If you’re interested in Florence read more about Florence in December). With so many different dishes eaten across the country, it’s the perfect source of inspiration for some seriously epic festive feasting. Catholic Italians celebrate Christmas as a “day of abstinence", on Christmas Eve the family eats a meatless dinner that traditionally it followed by a living nativity scene and midnight mass.In some parts of southern Italy on Christmas Eve is served a seven fishes dinner known as the Feast of the Seven Fishes or La Vagilia. Give each person a 16 fl oz (470 mL) glass and have them tear off pieces of the panettone … Another classic Italian dessert is cannoli, a pastry filled with sweetened ricotta cheese. You pinch the pasta over each tiny block of cheese, then cut them apart. What do Italians Eat for Christmas? We used to prepare pettole, then take them over to a relative’s house covered with a basic tomato sauce and some Pecorino grated on top.". Indeed, capitone is eaten on Christmas Eve, since it is a well-known rule around the country that it is better to eat fish on this day. Christmas in Italy is celebrated over several weeks as Italians celebrate from early December, depending on the region, until the day of Epiphany, on the 6th of January. As I said in the tradition post, Italian festivities are religious-oriented, cause of the vicinity with the pope and the importance the Catholic church had in the upbringing of the country you can come to understand how it’s possible that almost every day off you get in this country is catholic. "This is a perfectly balanced dessert and it’s so simple," says Stefano. Puglia’s bountiful coastline means fresh fish usually makes up the majority of the Christmas dinner, but it’s one of the other ingredients the region is famous for – durum wheat – that takes the spotlight in the festive fish soup known as semola battuta. But the real mad one is how you also have a massive ski-out for Christmas Eve, usually in the dolomites. In this piece, Great Italian Chefs features editor Tom Shingler compares what Italians love to eat — and drink — during the holidays in northern Piemonte and southern Puglia. Natale (Christmas) 3. It was brought to America in the early 1900s when immigrants wanted to stay connected to their culture. This meal is usually hosted for distant relatives, with different courses served. Ask most people what Italians eat for Christmas, and they’ll almost always say panettone; it’s one of the few specialties that have started to influence Christmas celebrations in other cultures. "A lot of the traditional foods we cook at home are rough and ready, so they don’t necessarily work very well in a restaurant setting," explains Davide. It’s just so nice and fresh as it puffs up in the oil – you can’t imagine how good it is! Select Italy puts you in touch with the heart of Italian culture, from the Tuscan countryside to the capital of Rome, and provides the information needed to organize a once in a lifetime tour of Italy. Continue Reading. Italians eat fish at Christmas. Italians have the right idea by abstaining from meat on Christmas Eve. Often, you serve this tasty fish dish over polenta. Il Giorno di Santo Stefano (Boxing Day) Italians do not eat bacon, eggs, toast or pancakes for breakfast. One of these is agnolotti del plin, a specialty in Piemonte that’s always served at big gatherings, particularly Christmas. In Italy, it’s the Befana. An Italian Christmas Dilemma. It is tall and cylindrical in shape, has a fluffy sourdough texture, and traditionally contains raisins and candied orange or other citrus fruits, though there are other types including chocolate as well. You have entered an incorrect email address! Cardoons look like giant stalks of dark green celery but taste completely different. Since most Italians do not eat meat on Christmas Eve, here are some traditional second-course items to enjoy. Many Italians avoid eating meat on Christmas 'eve, I eat it though. … Anyway, Italians (shouldn’t) really don’t eat much on Christmas Eve, I mean with the increase of divorced families in the country the situation is evolving and it’s becoming another Christmas feast, but the real feast is on Christmas Day, and the menu varies from region to region. You can use it throughout the year but we’d normally put it on the table at Christmas because it’s meant to be used at family gatherings. In my home, Christmas Eve began around 3 pm. Depending on the region, you’ll find Italians celebrating the Christmas season with the following foods: Cured meats or salumi according to what’s produced and eaten in the given region Various cheeses according, again, to what’s produced and eaten in the given region Cured Olives and pickled vegetables But the one thing that is ever-present on an Italian Christmas table is Spumante or Prosecco, the Italian Champagne, the Bubbly. Anyway, the idea is don’t eat meat before a festivity, and in this case, it’s a pro for the question above. Christmas week in Italy means one thing: feasting. Unsurprisingly for a country with such rich culinary traditions, there are dozens of delicacies that are all but unheard of abroad. There was always a lot of spiced wine going around, too, flavored with fruit, spices and citrus peel." Sometimes referred to as The Feast of the Seven Fishes, not everybody sticks to exactly seven; some go up to 11 or 12, predominantly shellfish. Anyway, enough historical context let’s look at the first tradition that kicks off how is Christmas celebrated in Italy. But even with this common practice, another tradition is to go to town with the fish meals on 24th December. Capon stuffed with ground meat, egg, Parmesean cheese and mortadella. Copyright © 2015 - 2019 Eataly Net USA LLC - All Rights Reserved, Ravioli di Zucca (Butternut Squash Ravioli Recipe). with loved ones.But customs also vary from city to city, from exactly which dishes are served, to when to open presents, making every region an interesting place to enjoy the holidays. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages. – Davide Gagliazzo, "Back when I lived in Puglia, I always used to make infused spirits with my grandparents. So, while you’re still in your apartment why not start this tradition with your house-mates. On the day after Christmas, Italians have another feast, Santo Stefano’s Lunch. This is especially true of Italian holiday traditions, the vast majority of which are rooted in the country’s traditional observance of Christian holy days. Italian Christmas Food. How Italians do Christmas: food from each region. We’d take things like bay or walnut leaves in October and steep them in alcohol. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Upload; Log In; Sign Up; Explore New Trending; Events; The Commons; Flickr Galleries; Flickr Blog; Get Pro ← → It’s pretty bad-ass. Another interesting practice well embedded in Italian festive traditions is the one of setting aside a small piece of Panettone during the Christmas dinner to eat it together with the family on the 3 rd of February, the day of Saint Biagio, as a ritual to ward off sore throats and colds. The meal's components may include some combination of anchovies, whiting, lobster, sardines, baccalà (dried salt cod), smelts, eels, squid, octopus, shrimp, mussels and clams. Presepi, presepi, and more presepi. La Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve) 2. This is especially true at Christmas, when a few ingredients from the local area are prepared in ingenious ways to create snacks and dishes. It is common practice for Italian children write letters to Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) asking for Christmas presents. Ask most people what Italians eat for Christmas, and they’ll almost always say panettone; it’s one of the few specialities that have started to influence Christmas celebrations in other cultures. Eat like the Italians this Christmas. Once the cartellate are cooked, we drizzle something called vinocotto onto them. So as you can imagine I’m not a big fan as I was always a bit too curious on Befana night. Especially the children look forward to the start of the Christmas season in December when Christmas trees are put up and houses are decorated. On Epiphany night, children believe that an old lady called 'Befana' brings presents for them. – Stefano Decostanzo, "The grolla is something nobody really knows about outside Italy. "Everyone has been waiting all year long for the bagna cauda, and when the time comes every two people get a little terracotta pot full of the dip between them with a little candle underneath so it continues to bubble away. On Christmas my family has always eaten meat, we start with meat appetizers as vitello tonnato (veal tonné), cold cuts, cotechino and boiled potatoes or purée, then a main course of lasagna or cappelletti in capon's broth, and so on. Well, the perilous companion of every Italian Christmas tradition. Question after question that only enjoying a nice Italian Christmas meal you’ll discover the answers to. Yeah…that’s what my grandma would tell me. A traditional Christmas Eve dinner is a meal that consists of seven seafood items, but some Italians have up to 13. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For many Italian Americans, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is a can’t-miss Christmas tradition. "It’s a mix of garlic, anchovy, olive oil, milk, and sometimes a little cream," says Davide. "My father has seven brothers and two sisters, each with a few children, so when everyone gets together at Christmas it is a big celebration," he explains. One of the best things about Christmas is the amount of sweet pastries, biscuits and desserts on offer. She’s the good witch that brings sweets to all the Italian kids. To properly break down all the stringy fibers, you have to cook them for two or three hours. I remember waiting for it to be cooked and my grandmother slapping my hand because I wanted to eat it right out of the oil. Christmas traditions in the United States have many eclectic origins with those from the United Kingdom predominant, but many others over the past 400 years have come from Scandinavia, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and, most recently, … 41. Baccala alla Vicentina is much loved traditional Italian food for Christmas from Northern Italy. Christmas E… Originally published December 16, 2016. Mine eats octopus. Most shops close for the pausa pranzo (lunch break) between 13:00 and 15:00. It originally comes from Milan and it takes 20 hours for the dough to rise three times, which helps produce the domed shape of the panettone and gives it its light porous texture. This is the first thing to know when talking about Christmas in Italy. This collection of authentic Italian Christmas Eve and Christmas Day recipes will help you to plan a holiday just like Nonna. Business in Italy: is Amazon giving SMEs opportunities? Sauerkraut with mushrooms, often prepared. Will probably make you change your mind. No that’s La Befana. In the case where there are no relatives visiting, people will eat leftovers or try innovative recipes with leftovers from the night before. Italians typically eat a … Grolla is very common in the mountains of Piemonte when it’s cold outside; everyone sits down next to the fireplace and passes it around." The traditional Christmas Eve dinner is steeped in folk tradition and as Maria Laurino writing for the NY Times has said, the ritual varies from region to region, including the number and type of fish served. The feast of the seven fishes on Christmas Eve is one of the most popular Italian traditionsin America, yet is not widely celebrated in Italy. To end it all off we have the Befana, some say she’s Misses Claus, but others believe she is totally separate from Saint Nick. Once these two bad boys come out, you know it’s Christmas time in Italy ( discover more about italians holidays and […]. Or has it killed the game? Well that is a pretty good question, but one that you’ll be surprised to hear the answer to, the original idea was to eat only fish, but mostly because you’ll eat like a mad man on Christmas day. For dinner on Christmas Eve, most Italians eat fish and seafood. Unsurprisingly for a country with such rich culinary traditions, there are dozens of delicacies which are all but unheard of abroad. After you’ve (ahem) refrained from indulging on Christmas Eve, you’re allowed to really tuck in on Christmas Day. Turkey. Interested in Italian Cuisine and traditional italian food? "It’s basically pizza dough made very roughly in a pot by hand; nothing more than flour, a touch of yeast, water, and salt. Across Italy, Natale tends to be a family-centric holiday, a time to stay at home (and eat!) The nativity scenes are a huge deal in Italy like you have no idea how much preparation goes behind them. Do you eat Zampone or Cotechino? You’ll be surprised, Italian Cuisine and traditional italian food, Leonardo da Vinci – The first and last Renaissance Man, The Italian Christmas Witch? what do italians eat for christmas lunch? So, before you go asking what do Italians eat on Christmas Eve, let’s get to Christmas through the never-ending festivities that bring us to it. But the one thing that is ever-present on an Italian Christmas table is Spumante or Prosecco, the Italian Champagne, the Bubbly. Breakfast. Unsurprisingly for a country with such rich culinary traditions, there are dozens of … Meats. Some popular ones are: Calamari, Scungilli (conch), Baccalà (cod), Scampi (shrimp), Clams, Mussels, and a larger fish like snapper. Since most Italians do not eat meat on Christmas Eve, here are some traditional second-course items to enjoy. Photo Courtesy of Rachel Ray . 10 Steps To Making Espresso In A Moka, The Italian Coffee... Best Street Markets in Florence the complete list. Italian Christmas Dinner . How much does it cost to build a house in Italy? For Giorgio Locatelli, the secret to a perfect Italian Christmas is not to let anything else divert your attention away from the main point of the day. If you’re in Naples you’ll see the city getting ready all year long for the decoration of their nativity scenes. Italians are renowned for their baking, and a beautiful homemade bread is often served at Christmastime. Italian Christmas traditions. Ask most people what Italians eat for Christmas, and they’ll almost always say panettone; it’s one of the few specialties that have started to influence Christmas celebrations in other cultures. Stockfish is battered and fried in olive oil. Baccalà Con Peperoni Cruschi (Cod with Fried Peppers). By four or five o’clock in the afternoon, most people are asleep!" Discover the varied food traditions observed in Italy during the Christmas period, and how each region approaches the festive season. (in some families it may be mushroom soup or żurek (sour rye soup). Traditionally served for Christmas Eve dinner, this meal consists of a spread of seven different types of seafood, from appetizers to main courses—and it can last for hours! Lunch is the main meal. This is a religious custom as 24 th December is considered a day of fasting or abstinence, which Italians call ‘giorni di magro’ (meaning lean days). "My grandmother used to make pettole for the whole family," says Stefano. Christmas is a joyful time of year, during which everything is light and colorful. "Durum wheat makes a much rougher pasta than what you find in the north; theirs is better suited to ravioli and filled pasta as it’s more flexible," says Stefano. It’s a sort of lidded clay jar with lots of little spouts to drink out of, which we fill with a mixture of coffee and either brandy, cognac or grappa. […] going to talk about Panettone and Pandoro. Keep an eye out for the traditional shepherd bagpipers or zampognari, who accompany the carol singers too, especially in Rome, Southern Italy or Sicily, heralding the start of holy festivities. Not only Italians but most of the nations of Catholic culture, like Poland. Head chef Davide Degiovanni hails from Piemonte, a northern, mountainous region known for hearty, meaty, warming dishes which fend off the cold, winter months, while his sous chef, Stefano Decostanzo, was born and raised in Puglia – a southern coastal area known for its brilliant seafood and olive oil. They bring their’s so…just forget about the BMI for Christmas in Italy. Google gelato:P They often eat fruit and cheese for dessert. Christmas is that one celebration that really brings everybody together, be it the joy of receiving gifts or spending time with the family, it’s all about the opportunity to enjoy some quality time together indoors away from the cold. Try something different this year with an Italian take on Christmas lunch. Italians consider pizza good for a simple meal, the Christmas tradition is to have several courses of dishes you don’t eat every day, usually at home with other relatives, though a number of them book a restaurant instead. Learn how your comment data is processed. Instead, the tradition is for Italians to eat fish dishes. This dessert is as simple as it is delicious: it is basically fried sweet bread dough. Italian Christmas Food and Drink. Even the most common Italian Christmas traditions will vary from region to region. It started through the Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat or animal products on Holy days and Fridays through the year. Just as you thought your feasting would end with Christmas Day, you were wrong you were dead wrong my friend, cause even though you did your fair share and ate all the good food that was on your plate. Spend just $99.00 more and enjoy free shipping. You’ll get to ski down the slopes only with torches. Tombola…It’s Bingo really, but Italians make it all the much more fun putting numbers and characters together. The foods served are symbolic of wishes for the coming year and are accompanied by plenty of festive drinks like Prosecco or spumante (sparkling wine). They’re dipped in hot water for less than a minute, then served in a pile on the middle of the table on top of a napkin covered in Parmigiano Reggiano and truffle. Leftovers. Pettole sounds like a pizza-lover’s dream. Puglian cuisine is known for being brilliant in its simplicity. Cause maybe you’re with another side of the family so you find yourself having a Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. 5 things that matter in life: i) something ii) something else iii) another thing iv) something completely unrelated v) and something that rules out everything I said in the last 4.