Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Festive Favourites
Perhaps you've heard of ancient Roman orgies with trips to the vomitorium to make room
for the next course, or Medici family feasts with sugar sculptures worth their weight in
gold? In Italy, culinary indulgence is the epicentre of any celebration and major holidays
are defined by their specialities. Lent is heralded by Carnevale (Carnival), a time for migli-
accio di polenta (a casserole of polenta, sausage, pecorino and parmigiano reggiano
cheeses), sanguinaccio ('blood pudding' made with dark chocolate and cinnamon), chiac-
chiere (fried biscuits sprinkled with icing sugar) and Sicily's mpagnuccata (deep-fried
dough tossed in soft caramel).
If you're here around 19 March (St Joseph's Feast Day), expect to eat bignè di San Gi-
useppe (fried doughnuts filled with cream or chocolate) in Rome, zeppole (fritters topped
with lemon-scented cream, sour cherry and dusting sugar) in Naples and Bari, and crispelle
di riso (citrus- scented rice fritters dipped in honey) in Sicily.
Lent specialities like Sicilian quaresimali (hard, light almond biscuits) give way to
Easter binging with the obligatory lamb, colomba (dove-shaped cake) and uove di pasqua
(foil-wrapped chocolate eggs with toy surprises inside). The dominant ingredient at this
time is egg, also used to make traditional regional specialities like Genoa's torta
pasqualina (pastry tart filled with ricotta, parmigiano , artichokes and hard-boiled eggs),
Florence's brodetto (egg, lemon and bread broth) and Naples' legendary pastiera (short-
crust pastry tart filled with ricotta, cream, candied fruits and cereals flavoured with orange
water).
At the other end of the calendar, Christmas means stuffed pasta, seafood dishes and one
of Milan's greatest inventions: panettone (a yeasty, golden cake studded with raisins and
dried fruit). Equally famous are Verona's simpler, raisin-free pandoro (a yeasty, star-shaped
cake dusted with vanilla-flavoured icing sugar) and Siena's panforte (a chewy, flat cake
made with candied fruits, nuts, chocolate, honey and spices). Further south, Neapolitans
throw caution (and scales) to the wind with raffioli (sponge and marzipan biscuits), struffoli
(tiny fried pastry balls dipped in honey and sprinkled with colourful candied sugar) and
pasta di mandorla (marzipan), while their Sicilian cousins toast to the season with cucci-
ddatu (ring-shaped cake made with dried figs, nuts, honey, vanilla , cloves, cinnamon and
citrus fruits).
Of course, it's not all about religion. Some Italian holidays dispense with the spiritual
premise and are all about the food. During spring, summer and early autumn, towns across
Italy celebrate sagre, the festivals of local foods in season. You'll find a sagra del tartufo
Search WWH ::




Custom Search