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. Pettole sounds like a pizza-lover’s dream. Italians typically eat a … On Christmas Eve Italians used to eat the classic "cenone" (literally "big supper"), made up of several courses. Christmas breakfasts and dinners are feasts, to be sure, but they are not as formal or festive or sacred as Christmas Eve dinner. It is common practice for Italian children write letters to Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) asking for Christmas presents. 41. Asked for seconds, for thirds, in some cases for fourths, there will always be leftover. 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. 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. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Italy is known for its recipes that combine taste and a unique piece of home. One of the best things about Christmas is the amount of sweet pastries, biscuits and desserts on offer. I mean if you’re sitting in front of your screen and thinking “I want to spend Christmas in Italy” then you really shouldn’t be thinking about that. Discover the varied food traditions observed in Italy during the Christmas period, and how each region approaches the festive season 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. Which one do you prefer? Nah I’m pretty sure you can. If you’re in Naples you’ll see the city getting ready all year long for the decoration of their nativity scenes. Even some of the vegetables enjoyed throughout Piemonte are all but unheard of outside Italy. On Christmas Eve Italians used to eat the classic "cenone" (literally "big supper"), made up of several courses. The traditional Christmas Eve dinner is meatless. Originally published December 16, 2016. If you’re interested in Florence read more about Florence in December). The street of San Gregorio Armeno is nativity scene central, the whole street is full of sculptors that prepare the figurines, and during the rest of the year, you can also find some pretty fun figurines of celebrities as well. Often, you serve this tasty fish dish over polenta. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Not only Italians but most of the nations of Catholic culture, like Poland. Another way that Italians enjoy panettone doesn’t involve slicing it at all. Eat like the Italians this Christmas. Will probably make you change your mind. "You put them all in a pot and simmer the mixture very, very slowly, whisking until it all comes together. 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! You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. 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. 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). 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. Capitone (eel) The "capitone" is the female eel, and it is named like that because of the larger size of … 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. The immaculate conception on the 8th of December, this is the day where you get together with family and decorate the house for Christmas. Vegetables. Christmas is a joyful time of year, during which everything is light and colorful. … This is especially true at Christmas, when a few ingredients from the local area are prepared in ingenious ways to create snacks and dishes. 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. Editor's note: This article by Tom Shingler first appeared on Great Italian Chefs. Lunch is usually regarded as the most important meal. Christmas is a major holiday in Italy… which means Italians celebrate lots of great, unique Christmas traditions! La Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve) 2. This collection of authentic Italian Christmas Eve and Christmas Day recipes will help you to plan a holiday just like Nonna. 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. Italians also cook fish on Christmas Day, not just Christmas Eve. Since most Italians do not eat meat on Christmas Eve, here are some traditional second-course items to enjoy. In my home, Christmas Eve began around 3 pm. Usually on this day, retailers lower their Panettone prices in order to get rid of them quickly. These are then pinched and coiled around in a roll until it almost looks like a rose, and deep fried. An Italian Christmas Dilemma. In Italy, Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally lighter with no meat and a lot of seafood, while the Italian-American meal has evolved into much more of a feast. Natale (Christmas) 3. "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. So, while you’re still in your apartment why not start this tradition with your house-mates. If you’re wondering where is the best place to spend Christmas in Italy ? A traditional Christmas Eve dinner is a meal that consists of seven seafood items, but some Italians have up to 13. What do Italians Eat for Christmas Dinner?? Davide and Stefano describe what they drink throughout the festive season, along with Davide Gagliazzo, the bar manager at Union St Café. Usually, in the States, it’s Santa Clause that brings coal to naughty kids right? The average Christmas Day meal is enough to fill your belly for a good few days. And that is to eat - a lot. 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. Return to Italian Christmas Index Italian Christmas Dinner . Once you’ve left it to prove for a couple of hours, you grab handfuls of the dough with very oily hands and drop them into a pot of oil to deep fry; the shape doesn’t matter. 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. This dessert is as simple as it is delicious: it is basically fried sweet bread dough. 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. 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. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages. For many Italian Americans, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is a can’t-miss Christmas tradition. Along with the fancy lights, wreaths and trees, presepi (nativity … Italians do not eat bacon, eggs, toast or pancakes for breakfast. To properly break down all the stringy fibers, you have to cook them for two or three hours. Sauerkraut with mushrooms, often prepared. "An example of this is agnolotti del plin – which means ‘pinched’ – which we eat at Christmas time. Well, the perilous companion of every Italian Christmas tradition. It’s just so nice and fresh as it puffs up in the oil – you can’t imagine how good it is! (Just click the title to go to the recipe posts) Linguine alle vongole. It is mostly seen in southern Italy and Sicily, where fish is the most abundant, and each area celebrates in their own way. 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). Unsurprisingly for a country with such rich culinary traditions, there are dozens of … 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." Lunch is the main meal. Instead, the tradition is for Italians to eat fish dishes. You should really check Naples out, cause the nativity scene game is real strong ( discover the complete Naple’s guide). You can’t keep going all the way till the end of the day just eating right? It’s very heavy and full of flavor, so you serve it with tall winter vegetables, either raw or steamed, like Jerusalem artichoke, potato, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, and peppers, which you then dip in the mixture. 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. By four or five o’clock in the afternoon, most people are asleep!" Nicola Batavia Chef. Christmas week in Italy means one thing: feasting. ... A soup made of broth and cardoons (artichoke... BASILICATA. Capon stuffed with ground meat, egg, Parmesean cheese and mortadella. One of these is agnolotti del plin, a specialty in Piemonte that’s always served at big gatherings, particularly Christmas. So as you can imagine I’m not a big fan as I was always a bit too curious on Befana night. Also typical of the southern regions (Campania, Pulia, Calabria) are the zeppole (also called struffoli in some areas). It goes so well with the deep fried dough.". Hey, I get it sometimes you just want some info and not the whole thing. In Italy the Christmas season lasts for a few weeks up until Epiphany. – Davide Gagliazzo, "Back when I lived in Puglia, I always used to make infused spirits with my grandparents. Photo Courtesy of Manu’s Menu . 20 Traditional Christmas Dishes From All Around Italy ABRUZZO. Christmas is just around the corner and, where Italians are concerned, food is one of the main components in the festivities. What do Italians eat on Christmas Eve? People from the mountains seem to love fondue. Since most Italians do not eat meat on Christmas Eve, here are some traditional second-course items to enjoy. (in some families it may be mushroom soup or żurek (sour rye soup). So to get you into the festive spirit (but hopefully not the dentist's chair), here is a selection of 10 brilliant Italian sweets! 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. Now it seems more common to have meat at an Italian Christmas dinner, with many eating turkey and … Christmas bonus. On the day after Christmas, Italians have another feast, Santo Stefano’s Lunch. Italians are renowned for their baking, and a beautiful homemade bread is often served at Christmastime. 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. On Epiphany night, children believe that an old lady called 'Befana' brings presents for them. 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. 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 … The real tradition in Italy comes at midnight on Christmas Eve when the Duomo of each city celebrates the midnight mass, I’m sure that if you’re in a country with a majority Christian population it’s the same for you. 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. 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. 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. Morning Tea . – Stefano Decostanzo, "The grolla is something nobody really knows about outside Italy. Once these two bad boys come out, you know it’s Christmas time in Italy ( discover more about italians holidays and […]. Polish clear barsch with uszka (small ears) dumplings filled with dried wild mushrooms. A traditional Christmas Eve dinner is a meal that consists of seven seafood items, but some Italians have up to 13. 42. 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. Epiphany – January 6 . Question after question that only enjoying a nice Italian Christmas meal you’ll discover the answers to. The nativity scenes are a huge deal in Italy like you have no idea how much preparation goes behind them. 7 stands for the 7 sacraments in the Catholic religion. Sign up for our newsletters and be the first to learn about the latest news and promotions! A popular Christmas food in Emilia-Romagna and the north: filled pasta. If you are looking for traditional Italian Christmas dinner ideas, or for a great place to eat a Christmas meal in Tuscany - here in Maremma - then I have both for you here. It goes really dark and syrupy with a strong grape and licorice flavor. What do Italians eat on Christmas Eve? Tear your panettone and eat it in a glass of milk instead of slicing it. So, even Good Friday you don’t eat meat, but today the traditions are evolving just like the Italian population, and it’s up to you to decide if you want to eat meat or not. We’d take things like bay or walnut leaves in October and steep them in alcohol. 1. Mine eats octopus. Baccalà Con Peperoni Cruschi (Cod with Fried Peppers). "On Christmas morning, we traditionally always start with an aperitif at the bar in my town while all the wives, mothers and grandmothers cook the big meal – normally a Negroni or glass of Prosecco. Even the most common Italian Christmas traditions will vary from region to region. Leftovers. (In Emilia-Romagna, cotechino and zampone are not just a New Year’s eve tradition, but are also eaten on Christmas day.) Il Giorno di Santo Stefano (Boxing Day) Do you eat Zampone or Cotechino? 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. When Christmas trees are put up and houses are decorated, there are dozens of delicacies which are all unheard! 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