The recipes we are going to prepare and serve for Christmas lunch or New Year's Eve dinner represent much more than just delicious food prepared with passion. In fact these specialties are repositories of memories through which we pass on the cultural values of our family and our community. Through them we offer new generations the memory of who we are and the hope of what we want to continue to be.
Herbs and spices with their aromas and flavors play an important role in the dishes of the great Italian regional culinary traditions. Europrodotti takes you on a special regional gastronomic tour of the specialties served at Christmas and New Year's Eve, a journey that will help us understand how important it is for the treasures of our cuisine to survive even after we have torn the last page of the old calendar.
Christmas recipes: a journey through Italian regional traditions, flavours and spices
In Italy the Christmas season is an authentic ritual that marries food and culture. The region's biodiversity and the variety of local customs create a unique gastronomic heritage. This universe is defined not only by ancient recipes and practices but also by the skillful use of natural flavors and spices.
Northern Italian culinary traditions: between rustic simplicity and Alpine refinement
In Northern Italy Christmas tables are characterized by a thoughtful and profound cuisine, where fragrant vapors and robust flavors express a tradition that combines Alpine simplicity and domestic warmth.
In Lombardy the tenderness of capon, beef and pork meats in the bollito misto is enhanced by Cremona fruit mostarda, characterized by a pleasant sweet and sour flavor and the aromatic bouquet of mustard. Natural flavors like vanilla and grated citrus zest are essential in panettone, the dessert that has become a symbol of Italian Christmas.
But if we are looking for less famous, yet no less delicious, Christmas sweets, Piedmont offers us Bicciolani. These spiced biscuits, typical of the Vercelli area, are made with a dough enriched with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and sometimes even a pinch of white pepper. Enjoying them with a glass of passito or Barolo wine is the perfect way to round off the libations held under the tree.
It's a lovely way to start Christmas Eve dinner with a plate of ravioli. For those who prefer dry ravioli Liguria offers the tocco alla genovese, known in dialect as u tuccu zeneize, a sauce even celebrated by the Italian singer Fabrizio De André in his song Crêuza de mä. This sauce requires cooking a single piece of meat, preferably cappello del prete, for at least four hours with tomato puree, wine, rosemary, bay leaves and salt.
Many of you will spend the holidays skiing in the mountains. If you find yourself in the Aosta Valley a plate of Carbonade Valdostana is almost a must after a day on the snow. The meat in this stew acquires an extraordinary aromatic profile thanks to the marinade of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and a full-bodied red wine, preferably a Torrette, Enfer d'Arvier or Fumin.
If you are going to spend a few days exploring the markets of Trentino-Alto Adige stop at one of the many sweet stalls and order a slice of Zelten. This Upper Adige specialty is a fruity bread filled with dried fruit, candied fruit, rum, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. The latter spice lends a balsamic note reminiscent of the scents of mountain forests. The ideal accompaniment is a glass of hot vin brulè made with cloves, cinnamon, star anise and juniper berries.
Also Friuli-Venezia Giulia has a traditional Christmas dessert that is a comforting treat on frigid winter days: the Gubana. In this recipe the filling of mixed dried fruit, raisins, dried figs and crushed amaretti biscuits is spiced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. The whole thing is generously drizzled with grappa.
In Veneto Christmas Eve was once a lean day, so there was no meat on the table but only fish. Traditionally anguilla in umido (stewed eel) was served in white wine, bay leaves, garlic, cinnamon and cloves. The yellow polenta served as a side dish created a warm, aromatic dish with a perfect rustic contrast.
Cappone ripieno (stuffed capon) is a Christmas classic from Emilia Romagna, particularly from the provinces of Bologna, Modena and Ferrara. The stuffing is made with a mix of minced veal and pork meats, eggs, parmesan cheese, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. A pinch of nutmeg adds a touch of roundness without overpowering the flavor of the filling.
Central Italian cuisine: between land, sea and ancient aromas
In Central Italy the Christmas cuisine is a harmonious balance between hills and coast, where ancient aromas and measured spices tell of a tradition that combines peasant simplicity and Renaissance refinement.
For centuries the quintessential Christmas dish of Tuscany has been arista di maiale alla fiorentina (Florentine chine of pork). This recipe dates back to the Middle Ages and was even present at the banquets of the Medici family. Chine of pork is the back of the pig, specifically the cut from the rack to the loin. For how to prepare it for Christmas Eve dinner we'll share the instructions given by the gastronomist Pellegrino Artusi in his cookbook:
Stud it with garlic, sprigs of rosemary and a few cloves, but sparingly, as these flavors are easily absorbed, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast it on a spit, which is better, or simply bake it in the oven, and use the resulting fat to brown potatoes or to repurpose vegetables.
The cuisine of Umbria is rich in sweet spices, a legacy of the communal culinary tradition. These flavors are best expressed in cappone in friccò alla perugina. The capon, or in alternative free-range chicken or hen, is browned with garlic, onion and oil, deglazed with white wine and seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and bay leaves.
Abbacchio (baby lamb) is one of Lazio's most famous traditional dishes. Today its consumption during the late December holidays has declined in favor of other specialties, but it was once an important part of the Roman Christmas menu. The 19th-century recipe for abbacchio called for preparing lamb in a marinade made with oil, onion, dry white wine, garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper and salt.
Vincisgrassi are the iconic dish of December 25th in the Marche. Those unfamiliar with vincisgrassi will confuse them with lasagna Bolognese. Those trying them for the first time will be captivated by the rich, complex flavor of the ragù used to season them. In homes and restaurants in the Marche region this ragù is prepared with a mix of beef, pork and veal, enriched with chicken giblets. Generous doses of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon are then added to enhance their presence on the palate.
What could be more Christmassy than brodo di Natale abruzzese (Abruzzo's Christmas broth)? In Abruzzo, after opening presents, families gather around the table to enjoy this dish made with mixed meats, onion, celery, carrot, parsley, black pepper and cloves. The broth is usually used as a base for meat cappelletti, but in the province of L'Aquila it is served with boiled cardoons, meatballs and stracciatella (eggs, cheese and breadcrumbs).
Southern and island dishes: the kingdom of flavor and generosity
In the South and on the islands of Italy Christmas explodes with full and warm flavors, where aromatic spices and opulent ingredients transform every dish into a gesture of hospitality and shared memory.
On Boxing Day in Campania the minestra maritata simmers in pots. In its oldest version spices were essential for this soup: black pepper, cloves, allspice and, in some cuisines, even cinnamon. In addition to mixed meats the recipe calls for vegetables such as escarole, chicory, borage and cabbage. The result is a fragrant, warming dish whose vegetables revitalize the body after the lavish feasts of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
In Molise, as in Veneto, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a lean dish: baccalà arracanato, breaded and oven-baked fish. The original recipe called for cooking it under ashes. However this seemingly humble procedure had the great advantage of adding a delicious smoky flavor and enhancing the aroma of the ingredients used in the breading: pine nuts, raisins, black olives, cherry tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper and in some variations even oregano.
The custom of eating lean foods is also shared in Basilicata, where the main course on Christmas Eve is baccalà con peperoni cruschi (cod with cruschi peppers). These peppers are recognized as a regional traditional agricultural food product. They can be dried or cooked fresh. In the latter case simply sauté them in oil for a few seconds to make them crispy, exactly cruschi in dialect. Besides being an excellent side dish they are also delicious as a snack or appetizer.
While we wait for the time machine to be invented Calabria allows us to step back in time with a simple taste of Pitta 'mpigliata, a traditional dessert whose origins date back to the 18th century and which combines symbolism, technique and an elegant use of spices. Symbolism because its preparation is a ritual reserved for special occasions, such as weddings and Christmas. Technique because it is made of thin strips of dough rolled into a spiral and arranged in the shape of a rose around a filling of dried fruit, honey and spices. An elegant use of spices because cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves give it its unmistakable Calabrian Christmas aroma.
While Milanese panettone has been popular throughout Italy for over sixty years in Puglia the tradition of cartellate with vincotto (cooked wine) endures. Their shape recalls the religious symbols of the halo or crown of thorns worn by Christ. The pastry's distinctive aroma comes from a dough prepared with white wine, orange juice, cinnamon, cloves and anise seeds. Once fried the pastry is immersed in a syrup made with fig or grape vincotto, honey, cinnamon and orange zest.
If there were a prize for Italy's spiciest Christmas dessert, it would definitely go to Sicily's buccellato. This shortcrust pastry ring is the perfect fusion of Arab and Sicilian cuisine. In fact its filling blends ingredients typical of the European, Asian, and African shores of the Mediterranean: dried figs, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cocoa, orange zest and dried fruit.
Finally we come to Sardinia, where savory Christmas cuisine makes extensive use of the island's many aromatic herbs. A classic use is in roast lamb or goat, which families season with myrtle, bay leaves, rosemary and fennel seeds.
Conclusion
Herbs and spices not only flavor our dishes but also preserve our identity, our land and our memories. At Europrodotti, with modesty and humility, we strive to preserve these values and share them with you every day. With this spirit we thank you for joining us on this journey through Italy's traditions and wish you a peaceful Christmas and a new year filled with aromas, warmth and memorable moments.