From first courses, to second courses, to the inevitable desserts. But we want to introduce you to one wide choice of culinary specialties of our tradition for lunch Christmas. And in particular to present some typical dishes of Southern Italy. Each region of the South, in fact, presents its own specialties. There are many books written by Southern scholars who tell the many cooking secrets handed down for generations. Over time, recipes change and adapt, but the basics remain. Because what many have learned from their ancestors in the kitchen remains forever. So are you ready to enjoy some good dishes even with your imagination alone? A way also to offer you some useful ideas for organizing your Christmas lunches.
“Christmas lunch with your parents”: from appetizer to dessert, these are the traditions of Southern Italy
Each southern region has its own favorite dish. We start first from the appetizer. In fact, a rich appetizer cannot be missing in the Christmas lunch. Between Campania, Calabria and Sicily it ranges from cutting boards, which can present a wide range of cheeses but also typical cured meats, often produced by farms in the South. And so there are the characteristic mozzarella, the excellent variants of buffalo, but also the stracciatella, made with mozzarella and cream , the Lucana cacioricotta. Then the pecorino and caciocavallo Lucani, the scamorza. And again the burrata. The cured meats are tasty. It can range from sweet to spicy variants. And so you can taste the Lucanica sausage; the capocollo of Martina Franca, the larded fillet. You cannot miss the typical 'nduja and the sopressata to taste in Calabria.
For the Christmas lunch the traditions of each region
The paste with variegated and super-seasoned vegetables, but also with meat or sausage, as well as fish such as sardines. In Southern Italy for the lunch of Christmas the choice for first courses is also rich. In Campania from capitone to spaghetti with clams. And then the tasty friselle and the traditional “burdiglione” salad, made up of boiled cauliflower, green olives, gherkins, spring onions, pickled vegetables, sweet or spicy peppers and salted anchovies. And then the typical pasta with sardines in Sicilia, or fried and then baked eggplant anelletti. Also in Sicily, the salad with oranges, herring and onion is also present in the Christmas tables. And as per tradition, the chicken in broth.
And still in Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria vegetable and cabbage soups are prepared. The meat broths, boiled cod and bread with almonds are also excellent. Ravioli stuffed with potatoes, cheese and mint with tomato sauce prepare in Sardinia. They are the “culurgiones” and then the ricotta or cheese ravioli and the malloreddus, that is gnocchi in sausage sauce. As main courses the "porceddu allo spiedo", lamb and kid. In Puglia turnip tops and pettole (or pittule) with tomatoes, capers, oregano and anchovies. There is also space for roasted eel, fried or stewed cod and baked lamb with lampascioni. In Calabria for the Christmas lunch there is no shortage of "scillatelle con ragù" and roast kid. In Basilicata you can taste the “strascinati”, then also here the pettole and the boiled cod with sun-dried peppers.
Christmas sweets, the different varieties to prepare and enjoy
And if you are not yet satisfied with all these specialties, there is room for a good roundup of traditional sweets of Southern Italy. In Sicilia it ranges from cannolo, sfinci to ricotta, Enna buccellati. And again the cassata, the mustazzoli, the honey nougat with hazelnuts and almonds or pistachios. In Campania we prepare struffoli, roccocò, mostaccioli and dried fruit. Classic biscuits that can be found in Calabria, like the "nacatole" flavored with anise and then nougat, cedar and bergamot sweets.
In Basilicata calzoncelli, fried “panzerotti” filled with chestnut cream. Inevitable in Puglia cartellate, fried sheets of dough dipped in honey. And then the mostaccioli from Salento, with cinnamon and orange and cocoa. Dried figs stuffed with Apulian almonds and covered with dark chocolate. And in tradition Neapolitan the classic rum babà. Among the desserts Puglia, cartellate, nougat and porcedduzzi.
The embarrassment of choice, therefore, to be able to prepare delicious menus in the name of the culinary tradition and quality of Southern Italy well in advance.
