Italian holiday cuisine. Christmas and New Year's feast in Italy

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If you ask the Italians what their favorite holiday is, you will notice that the vast majority of the inhabitants of this sunny country will call you (Natale) or (Capodanno). And in fact: Italians always look forward to the December and January holidays, carefully preparing for them many weeks before their onset.

Like any other people, the Italians have whole line special New Year's traditions and rituals, which they try to carefully observe in order to "catch" good luck for the whole next year.

In Italy in new year's eve no one can sleep: festive fireworks blaze in the sky until morning, like crackers. Why is this tradition interesting?

First of January

In Italy, there is an opinion that the coming year will pass in the same way as the first of January. Therefore, after New Year's Eve, the Italian will never borrow or lend money or work.

red underwear

Residents of sunny Italy believe that the color red must certainly bring good luck. Therefore, they are happy to dress up in red for the New Year's table. It can be either a suit, dress or trousers, or underwear, which is simply full of shop windows.

Coins and candles

The Italians are simply obsessed with luring good luck on New Year's Eve. And they are ready for anything, just not to miss it. To do this, as already mentioned, they dress in red, and also put coins or candles on the windowsill - harbingers of prosperity.

"New Water"

In some regions of Italy, there is a custom to bring "new water" from the spring into the house on the first of January. Italians believe that water brought before sunset will bring happiness in the new year.

First person

>Another wonderful belief associated with the New Year says that it is of great importance who you meet on the street first in the coming year. You're out of luck if it's a priest or a child. But if grandfather crosses your path, you will be provided with happiness and prosperity until December 31 of the year that has just come.

12 grapes

To the sound of the clock, we write a wish on paper, burn it, and add the ashes to champagne and drink it. However, the inhabitants of Italy came up with a much simpler, but still a little strange tradition, associated precisely with the last minute of the outgoing year. They lay out 12 grapes, eating one with each stroke of the clock. It is believed that the one who ate the last berry in the first second of the coming year will be accompanied by ... of course, good luck.

Wine

The inhabitants of the post-Soviet space New Year associated with its invariable attributes: Olivier, tangerines and, of course, champagne. However, this alcoholic drink is not popular on New Year's Eve. Moreover, drinking French champagne is completely bad manners. Italians prefer to count the chimes with a glass of wine produced in their native country.

Befana

Italian kids don't get presents on New Year's Eve. No, this does not mean that their parents are mean people. The thing is that the good Fairy Befana puts gifts under the Christmas tree for children, and she does this only on January 6th. Italian kids are looking forward to the fairy-tale heroine, hanging their socks to the fireplace, and in the morning they rush to unwrap gifts. However, not all children will receive them: for those who behaved badly last year, the fairy put a piece of coal in her sock.

Throwing away furniture

good old Italian tradition throwing away unnecessary things in the last minutes of the outgoing year is not a fiction at all. Getting rid of unnecessary trash, the people of Italy get rid of the negative energy that has accumulated over the past year. Therefore, walking around the Italian streets on New Year's Eve is a very risky activity: torn trousers or a rare TV may fall on you.

The Italians to this day have many interesting and funny traditions: Christian and pagan, their own and borrowed. Therefore, celebrating the New Year in Italy is a great opportunity not only to celebrate this holiday with dignity, but also to get to know the country and its eccentric inhabitants better.

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Christmas and New Year are perhaps the most beautiful holidays in a year. Garlands of multi-colored lights that decorate houses and city streets everywhere, beautiful Christmas trees, shiny tinsel - all this has long been an indispensable attribute of winter holidays. Well, what kind of celebration can there be without a large, beautifully decorated table filled with huge amount treats.

traditional colors for festive serving considered green and red. However, despite the fact that the custom of decorating a table in this range originated in Europe, it was glorified by the Americans. It was in the USA that this traditional decoration acquired large quantity cute little things like small bouquets of flowers, Christmas bells, candles, cones, animal figurines, etc. The amazed Europeans could only be surprised, and again adopt the tradition that was forgotten from their overseas friends.

But if the table decorations turned out to be borrowed, then the dishes served for the holiday are closely related to the customs of each individual country, and their recipes are carefully passed down from generation to generation. The only common point is the presence of one large central dish in the form of a roasted whole turkey, goose, pig or fish. It symbolizes the unity of all who gathered at the festive table.

Also, according to the old tradition, Christmas is considered a family holiday, but the New Year is usually celebrated in the company of close friends and good acquaintances.

So what is served on the festive table in different countries Europe? Read more about this.

France

The traditional Christmas dinner in France necessarily consists of 7 courses, which can be soup with sage and garlic, blood sausages, roasted game, chestnuts, lentils, beans, as well as the famous local delicacy - foie gras.

However, the menu can vary greatly by region. In the east of France and in Burgundy, a turkey baked with chestnuts is always served, the inhabitants of Brittany love buckwheat cakes, and the Parisians are used to enjoying festive dishes of oysters, lobsters or goose liver.

The Christmas traditions of Provence are very interesting. The festive table is covered with three tablecloths, and three cups with germinated wheat and three large candles are placed in the center, which symbolize the Holy Trinity and are considered a guarantee of happiness in the coming year. At the end of the dinner, 13 desserts are served, according to the number of people present at the Last Supper. They can be very diverse. A sweet orange tart called "Butter Pump" is very popular, and original dessert"Four Beggars", which necessarily includes raisins, figs, walnuts and almonds.

The only dish that must be served everywhere for Christmas is the buch de noel chocolate log. This dessert is so popular that the tradition is strictly observed not only in France itself, but throughout its former colonies, so you can try the buch de noel even in Algeria or Tunisia.

All French speaking countries festive dinner called réveillon, from the word réveil - "awakening", it begins on the evening of December 24 and continues throughout Christmas night.

And on New Year's Eve, there is a custom to bake a bean seed in a pie. The one who gets it is proclaimed the "Bean King" and all those present all night must fulfill any of his desires.

Italy

The Christmas menu in Italy also has 7 dishes. In addition to the obligatory treats of beans, lentils, rice and sardines, seafood mixed with spaghetti is often served on the table. And the main dish, as in many other countries, is a baked goose.

Many Christmas traditions in Italy are associated with symbols of abundance. So lentils are present in holiday menu exclusively as a symbol of prosperity, since even the ancient Romans noticed that its grains resemble coins. Pork is also associated with wealth, and therefore, on New Year's Eve, kotekino is always served on the table - pork sausage, or zampone - stuffed pork leg. Pork must be eaten so that in the coming year a person will always be lucky, and he will be rich and happy.

On the festive table of Italians, there are always a variety of dried fruits and grapes. They also symbolize abundance and promise prosperity and harvest next year.

And the pomegranate is considered a symbol of fertility and marital fidelity. So that happiness does not leave the family, the spouses must definitely eat one fruit in half.

Spain

The whole second half of December in Spain is spent in endless Christmas dinners, which are organized in all restaurants and continue all night long. On average, a Spaniard manages to attend three or four dinners during the pre-holiday days, so there is no need to talk about any productive work at the end of the year.

On Christmas Eve, the Spaniards and the Portuguese prepare almond soup, and in Catalonia they prefer escudel, a meat stew that is seasoned with snail-shaped pasta stuffed with minced meat.

Rice porridge, cookies and halva with honey and nuts are also served on the Christmas table. And in the morning it is customary to eat fatty pork or capon with a side dish of porridge or chestnuts.

The Spaniards also have their own special Christmas drink called cava. In fact, this is ordinary champagne, only the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula have come up with a different name for it.

Just like the Italians, the festive table in Spain is unthinkable without grapes. A juicy ripe bunch is considered here a symbol of abundance and a happy family life. On New Year's Eve, when the clock strikes midnight, you need to eat 12 grapes and make 12 wishes - all of them must certainly come true. The same tradition exists in Portugal and in many Latin American countries that have long been Spanish colonies - Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela.

Great Britain

Since time immemorial, it has been a custom in Britain to cook plum porridge - porridge cooked on meat broth. It had to be eaten very hot, and honey, nuts or dried fruits served as an addition. Over time, the porridge was replaced by plum pudding, which is still a mandatory dish on the Christmas table of the British. Its name can be translated as "fire pudding", because just before serving it is doused with rum and set on fire.

Another traditional holiday dish is stuffed turkey with pieces of ham, sausages and a side dish of Brussels sprouts. This tradition appeared only in the 18th century, when turkeys were first brought to the British Isles. Until that time, the wealthy inhabitants of Foggy Albion served a baked boar's head on the festive table, and poor peasants made something similar from dough. But the Scots, Irish and Welsh prefer to treat their relatives with smoked or baked goose at Christmas.

The New Year in Scotland is closely connected with the legends about good gnomes, and therefore small figures of these funny little creatures are often present on the festive tables. And for this holiday they bake a huge sand cake, which is decorated with marzipans and candied nuts.

Germany

Fish is a must on the German Christmas table. It can be an ordinary herring or carp, the scales of which resemble coins, which means it symbolizes prosperity in the coming year. It is even customary to put a few carp scales in a wallet.

Another indispensable attribute of the holiday is a large dish on which apples, nuts and raisin pies are beautifully laid out. All this has a deep symbolic meaning. Apples are the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and nuts, with their hard skin and delicious core, are associated with secrets and difficulties that a person must learn and overcome in his life.

Well, the main Christmas dish is traditionally considered a baked goose with potatoes and red cabbage.

Of the sweets, the most popular is kriststollen - regular cupcake with raisins. The only difference between this Christmas cake and all the others is its unusual appearance. Oval cupcake is only two-thirds sprinkled powdered sugar, which makes it look like a tightly swaddled child - the Christ baby.

According to a recipe known since the Middle Ages, another famous German Christmas dessert is also baked - Der Lebekuchen, which is sweet cakes with raisins.

Austria

At a Christmas dinner in Austria, noodle soup and a large carp baked with cumin are a must. And the decoration of the New Year's table most often becomes a jellied pig.

On the first day of the new year, lunch consists of pork for good luck, horseradish for good health, and green peas for wealth in the coming year.

Switzerland

The most important Swiss Christmas dish is the well-known fondue. Due to the special solemnity of the occasion, not one, but several different varieties of cheese are taken to prepare the festive version, and wine is added to the cauldron.

In addition to fondue, baked salmon and roast cooked according to a special old recipe are always served at the Christmas table.

Holland and Belgium

It is customary for the Dutch to visit at Christmas with their frying pan. Each guest must prepare for gala dinner your own original dish, and it is the responsibility of the owners to prepare everything necessary for this - various types of fish and meat, shrimps, vegetables. All prepared dishes are generously complemented by a variety of sauces and salads. It is said that such an exotic tradition exists in Indonesia, from where the Dutch sailors borrowed it.

At Christmas, it is customary to fry beef, cook glazed ham, rabbit or pheasant. And from England came the tradition of roasting a turkey.

From sweets, a variety of waffles, cookies and puddings are popular. It is customary to drink all this with hot tea with milk, cinnamon and sugar, sometimes they add it nutmeg, saffron or cloves.

A traditional Belgian Christmas dish is the so-called Bread of Christ - bun in the shape of a swaddled baby. It is usually served in the morning with a cup of fragrant chocolate.

Denmark

On the Christmas table in Denmark, there are always baked goose, duck with apples or pork. Garnish for meat is most often potatoes and red cabbage. Rice pudding with almonds serves as a festive dessert. Nuts are baked inside, and everyone who gets them will be very happy in the coming year.

People usually drink a lot at Christmas, and the most popular drinks are mulled wine, special strong beer or gleg - a mixture of wine and water with the addition of cloves and cinnamon.

Sweden

In Sweden, as in other Scandinavian countries, fish, ham, porridge and bread baked according to a special recipe are served on the Christmas table. The main dish of the holiday is fried pig head or spiky tongue.

Another traditional Swedish holiday dish has a very funny name Janson's Temptation. It is amazing delicious casserole from fish and potatoes with cream.

On New Year's Eve, it is customary to serve a roast goose with apples, and a variety of snacks from herring, salmon, cod and cheese. And the most popular dessert is rice pudding.

Finland

In Finland, throughout the winter holidays, it is customary to cook rich meat stews, various cereals and potato dishes.

The main decoration of the Christmas table is a baked ham richly flavored with mustard. Of the fish dishes, gravlax is obligatory - salted salmon and lutefix - fish soaked in an alkaline solution. They are usually served with beetroot salad and a special swede casserole. The most popular holiday drink among Finns is mulled wine.

Poland

Unlike most of their neighbors, the Poles are sure that christmas menu should not include meat. At Christmas, 12 dishes are served, including barley porridge, dumplings, bigos, fried carp and borscht.

Oddly enough, borscht is indeed considered one of the main Christmas dishes in Poland. And even more surprising is that they cook it without meat, and fill it only with ears - small dumplings stuffed with mushrooms.

For sweets, special festive honey cookies with nuts and small buns in the form of figures of various animals or fairy-tale characters are usually served.

Czech

The Christmas menu in the Czech Republic traditionally consists of barley porridge, potato salad and fried carp. Live fattened carps are sold right on the street from large barrels, to which long queues line up.

For dessert, puff apple pies are usually served, in which coins are baked; wealth and good luck will surely find such a surprise. Christmas cookies are also very popular, which the hosts distribute to their guests.

Hungary and Romania

Christmas dinner in Hungary is subject to strict traditions. Strictly regulated is not only the composition and number of dishes, which can be 7 or 13, but even their sequence. The meal necessarily begins with bread with garlic, then you need to eat a nut and an apple slice, then comes the turn of noodles, beans and curd cakes. As a dessert, pastries with poppy seeds or marmalade are served. Only after all these obligatory dishes served hot soup from cabbage or beans.

The king of the Hungarian New Year's table most often becomes a roast pig, it is believed that it brings good luck and prosperity. Interestingly, unlike most European countries, in Hungary it is not customary to eat poultry on public holidays. It is believed that otherwise happiness can fly out of the house.

And in neighboring Romania, for Christmas, not only coins are baked into pies, but also rings, porcelain figurines and pods hot pepper. Each "stuffing" has its own symbolic meaning, and you need to try the pies very carefully - there is a high risk of breaking a tooth or chewing a very hot pepper.

Bulgaria

The festive table in Bulgaria is literally bursting with all kinds of dishes, as there is a belief that the more abundant it will be new year's dinner- the next year will be even more fruitful.

Of the popular dishes, one can name moussaka - potato casserole with minced meat, original dishes from eggplant, sweet potatoes, mushrooms and apples. For dessert, zavivanets is served - a roll with lemon and a banitsa.

Banitsa is a cake in which a coin is baked, as well as dogwood buds. If there is one dogwood bud in a piece of the pie - to health, two - to happiness, and three - to a future wedding. The coin traditionally means prosperity and good luck in financial matters.

Greece and Serbia

In Greece, the pomegranate is considered a traditional symbol of abundance. To find out if the coming year will be successful, you need to break one of the fruits against the wall of the house. If the pomegranate cracked and its grains scattered, there will be happiness and prosperity in the house.

At Christmas in Greece it is customary to bake homebaked bread, which depicts the symbols of the owner's craft. Peasants depicted a plow, herders depicted sheep figurines, etc. In neighboring Serbia, there is a similar custom, such bread is called chessnica here, and in addition to patterns, it is additionally decorated with green sprigs.

In both countries, on the festive table there are various cereal dishes, a lot of sweets and nuts. But just like in Hungary, they never use a bird as a Christmas treat, fearing that luck will fly out of the house with it.

I sincerely congratulate you on the New Year and Merry Christmas, be healthy and happy, and may good luck never leave your home!

Your Cliotada.

A red and white checkered tablecloth will help you create the atmosphere of a homely Italian restaurant. Instead of fir branches, place a poinsettia, or Christmas star, as it is called in Europe, on the table. Tie the napkins with twine and tie over a small farfalle - butterfly-shaped pasta, first dip them in sparkles.

Main details

• Checkered tablecloth
• Candles
• poinsettia
• Empty bottles
• Wine corks

There are many New Year's traditions in Italy. For example, you need to take 12 grapes and start eating one with each chiming clock. It is important to eat the twelfth grape in the first second of the New Year, then the whole year you will be lucky.

For the same purpose, the Italians put coins on the windowsills and light candles. It is not known whether the fire of candles attracts all the good things to the house of superstitious owners, but in warm lights the festive table will look even more comfortable!

Menu

In Italian cuisine, everything that is served before the main course is called antipasti. Whatever language you speak, an appetizer in the colors of the Italian flag, caprese salad, does not need to be translated. Any beginner can handle the recipe. Our suggestion is to think about serving. See how beautiful the New Year's wreath of caprese salad looks on a dish.

The highlight of this pate is an unusual combination of fish and cream cheese. Beetroot colors the pate in a beautiful pink color and adds a slight nutty note to it. Portion serving with a cracker is a gourmet start to a New Year's Eve dinner.

Everyone loves meatloaf, because in fact it is a big cutlet. And you can hide inside mozzarella, vegetables or fruits. We suggest using a regular egg. In the context of the roll will look very optimistic. During cooking, the bacon laid on top will melt and make the minced beef juicier, and at the same time form a delicious crust.

Among the symbols of Italian gastronomy, it is difficult to single out one thing, how can you compare pasta, pizza or lasagna? To deprive you of the agony of choice, we suggest preparing a dish that has been prepared in Italy since the 13th century - juicy lasagna. Special attention take the test, choose carefully finished sheets store or make your own.

They are so passionate, sexy and hot, these Italians, that you just want to eat something like that to also become passionate, sexy and at least a little Italian, well, at least on New Year's Eve. Most of us Italian food associated exclusively with pizza and pasta, but this is completely wrong.

Olive oil

Italians who daily consume olive oil for food live on average 15-20 years longer than Russians. A lot, isn't it? The fact is that olive oil reduces the level of bad cholesterol and has a very positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Moreover, olive oil has a beneficial effect on the digestive organs, and on the skin, and even on the nervous system.

Just as a Japanese cannot live without rice, so an Italian cannot live without olive oil. Sicily to this day is famous for it, having great taste and very beneficial for the body.

Ladies, attention! Olive oil protects against premature aging and increases skin elasticity (as a result, reduces the number of newly appeared wrinkles). Olive oil can be seasoned with any salads or used for frying, because it is known that only olive oil does not emit carcinogens when frying, even if you cook with the same oil for the third time.

Put the nut mixture - peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans and hazelnuts - in a deep plate, lightly drizzle olive oil on top and add a little salt. Then top with another plate and shake until the oil and salt evenly coats all the nuts. Delicious treat is ready!

Idea: Drizzle fresh bread (white or black) with olive oil, sprinkle on top ground pepper and finely chopped herbs. Everything!

Fish

Italian cuisine is replete with fish delicacies, and the Italians use only fresh fish. “There is only one freshness in fish - the first, it is also the last. And if the sturgeon is of the second freshness, then this means that it is rotten!”, said M. Bulgakov, and the Italians completely agree with him. Moreover, Japanese scientists have proven that frequent consumption of fresh fish reduces the risk of heart attack by almost a widow.

Fish dishes are lighter compared to the traditional meat dishes presented on our website. New Year's table, and therefore more "holiday". In the sense that after a fish dish it is much easier to dance and have fun than after hearty and heavy meat. Checked!

Yes, I almost forgot, American scientists confidently declare that the daily consumption of fish for food is an excellent prevention of depression.

Fish in Italian is "peshe" (emphasis on the second syllable), well, let's cook a very tasty, light, low-calorie dish "peche in milk." We need any fillet sea ​​fish(250 g) and a glass of milk (100 g), just a little bit of olive oil and salt to taste. Put the fish on a frying pan heated with olive oil, salt, fry on both sides (until golden brown), then pour milk and place the pan in the oven. After 15-20 minutes the dish is ready!

Cheese

Cheese is very tasty. Most tasty breakfast for me - a piece of cheese with a cup of coffee. It always seemed to me that after it I feel better all day, and recently I read in a magazine and realized that I didn’t “seem” at all, but in fact it is: coffee and cheese improve the well-being of hypotensive people - people with low blood pressure. blood pressure.

Italy has always been famous for its cheeses, and in the fall there are even cheese festivals. The most popular italian cheese here, and by the way, in Italy itself, it is Parmesan. There is also "Ricotto" (red hard cheese with an admixture of pepper), "Pecorino" (sweet), "Provolone" (has the shape of a melon) and a few dozen more varieties.

With moderate use, cheese has a beneficial effect on vision, skin condition and metabolism in the body. However, you should not overeat it in any case - cheeses are extremely high in calories, so they can cause obesity, constipation and other "joys" of life.

On New Year's Eve, you can try a purely Italian dish with cheese - easy to prepare and energetically valuable, just eat a little bit and you will have the strength to have fun all night long without heaviness in the stomach.

To prepare this dish, you will need 5 slices of hard cheese 1 cm thick, one egg, chopped greens, two tomatoes, breadcrumbs and olive oil. Pour a little olive oil into a preheated pan, then put the slices of cheese rolled in egg and breadcrumbs and fry on both sides until golden brown. Until the cheese has cooled, sprinkle it with herbs and decorate with a slice of tomato on top.

Coffee

Italians are avid "coffee lovers" with experience, the first coffee shop in Italy opened in 1654. Surprisingly, despite the general love for this drink, Italians do not treat drinking coffee as a ritual, but simply love to drink it. It is this approach that appeals to me most of all, when a cup of coffee is just a cup of coffee, without the admixture of soul-saving and heart-rending conversations and traditions.

In my opinion the most tasty coffee today it is Italian coffee: 30 g of Amaretto liqueur is added to the hot drink and garnished with a cap of whipped cream.

It turns out that a glass of coffee (to clarify, without "Amaretto") can have an amazing effect on human body:

Two cups of coffee per day reduces the risk of liver cancer by as much as 43%;

- coffee improves long-term memory, which is probably why it is pleasant to drink coffee in the office during negotiations.

By the way, if you want to remember what you really did on this New Year's Eve, then you can drink a cup of coffee instead of a glass of champagne, believe me, your mind will be clear, and waking up in the morning will be painless.

However, coffee consumption should be in moderation - more than four cups a day can lead to a deterioration in all the indicators that I have listed above. Yes, and it is even better not to drink it for those who have high blood pressure.

Sweets

This is where the fantasy of the Italians unfolded, so it is in the preparation of sweets! Panettone (something like ours with raisins), torrone (reminiscent of sherbet with nuts and raisins), pandoro (slightly reminiscent of a cake) and panforte (indescribable deliciousness). That's exactly the panforte we will prepare to decorate our New Year's table.

We will need all the ingredients in the same proportions: flour, sugar, water, candied fruit 200-300 g each. Another handful of almonds, ground nutmeg and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Pour half a handful of almonds, sugar, nutmeg into a saucepan with water and cook everything over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add candied fruit, flour to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring continuously. When is formed homogeneous mass, put it on a plate, decorate with the remaining almonds and cool. Then cut into pieces and enjoy!

The festive New Year's Eve dinner for Italians starts at 9 pm and lasts until midnight. It is believed that the new year will be successful if there are at least 5-7 dishes on the table.

For those who expect material well-being from the coming year, the Italians recommend eating fish on New Year's Eve; if you want health - try nut mix with olive oil; Well, if during the chiming clock you swallow 12 grapes and do not choke, then the coming year will be really successful for you!

Discussion

Pesche - stress on the first syllable.
And mix up the New Year with Christmas. It is customary to eat fish for Christmas dinner (and then go to church, not dance), and on New Year's Eve they eat lentils with kotekino - stewed pork.
Olive oil is great, of course. It is true that Italians live longer, but cancer is much more common among them. Not because of the olive oil, of course, but it's worth considering...

Comment on the article "Italian flavor. New Year's table kitchen"

Discussion

Was in June 2018 with 10 and 11 year olds. They still remember. I liked it very much. Do not think, go) and for fun you can go one day to Mirabilandia, not so far away.

depending on how much you eat. I went last year with two. one is 18, the other is 13. we were in May, but there are wild queues at all museums. there are a lot of people everywhere. arrival / departure was Pisa, so we also went to Lucca. I agree with your husband - there is nothing special for children to do there. Well, or not to spend many days on this city.

I thought. What do Europeans eat? Not in restaurants, but at home, so that every day, when Italians have dinner, it is a social event. According to my observations, dinner is prepared daily and lasts...

Discussion

In Finland, in supermarkets, free booklets of simple delicious recipes from inexpensive products, even the cost of a serving is calculated. The cakes there are amazing. the simplest recipe. Creamy trout soup - literally 5 minutes to prepare. Pizza is the same - 5 minutes to mix and 10 to bake, for the very lazy - ready and tasty base worth a penny. I like to make stew or pilaf in a slow cooker, cutlets, mashed potatoes, all sorts of sauces, pies. Semi-finished products are also delicious and you don’t need to think too much.

And on weekends (and on weekdays too) it is customary to go to buffets / ready-made lunches - 9-11 euros from the nose and eat unlimitedly: soup, several second courses, snacks and dessert. Different cuisines, and Chinese, Nepalese, and other exotic, there are also restaurants home cooking. For some reason, children squeak from dinners in Ikea, children often have a free portion of food either on Tuesdays, or every day for some weeks.
Who has his own garden under the window, at least 4 square meters. meters, in the summer they cook everything that is suitable on the grill, who lives in high-rise buildings, there is often a common grill place.

England - either in the morning they fill the slow cooker with vegetables / meat / fish, etc.
Or pasta with sauce; risotto; chili and so on.
Very often they cook in reserve and freeze the leftovers. In the morning, the same chili is taken out of the freezer and warmed up in the evening.

Italians are trying to eat and drink in Russian: alcohol [link-1] without alcoholic drinks[link-2] soups [link-3] breakfasts [link-4] New Year's dishes [link-5] sweets [link-6]...

Discussion

great!
quality made videos, not tightened, funny.
Italians are nice too :)

there are still discussions of clips by them, it turns out that they are educated people (I watched the discussion of "Cuckoo")

in short, thank you :)

aaa!! how I laughed :))))))) And how cute they are :)))

Lambrusco and Martini, yes, we have, but the price difference...

Discussion

It seems to me that in the north of Italy there is enough meat and chicken.
Large stores have wonderful salads.

Milk porridge is not to be found there. I didn’t see buckwheat, but Lignano is close to the border, I think there should be buckwheat there. And on the other hand, 2 weeks is possible without buckwheat.
Milk - LATTE.
Kefir is not there as a class.
And in general with sour milk there is not very much. Here are the cheeses, yes. The cheese is Formaggio, but usually just the name of the cheese is written, without specifying that it is a cheese, for example, mozzarella.
Let me know how you like it :))

My daughter had big problems feeding her 3 year old. Why not just feed her pasta? But it was Calabria, there was no special assortment there. Unlike Sicily and Northern Italy.

there is buckwheat, but not in all stores it happens and not always, as luck would have it, also for oatmeal - it is often sold in the baking department, semolina is more common, but it is also unusual for us - in the departments with flour, most often I managed to find it .The larger the store, the more likely it is to find everything. Well, pasta :-)) There are all kinds of meat, often a rabbit, I advise. About milk, just like ours, they write on packages that may contain traces ... I didn’t see the type of marshmallows and marshmallows, there are cookies, but everything is mostly with additives: - (Well, actually, like ours - you rarely find natural, and what you have is very expensive. Anyway, you will definitely find something to cook similar to your usual food, don’t worry. .. Eggs from open-air chickens, from free range chickens, from chickens in cages - I don’t want to choose :-) It's funny.

The Italian partner replied that he would be happy to come to us in Florence with his family. We have a favorite restaurant in Florence - there for one of our evenings...

Discussion

if this is an informal meeting, well, relax :), the more that side takes the initiative, they may want to tell you something, show you something. Tell them your plan of stay (what did you plan to do / see in Florence?). Go to a good restaurant (for sure, if this is not the first time in Florence - you know, or maybe an Italian is also a connoisseur of Florence, he will tell you where to go for dinner), you have children, they have children - really you won’t find topics for conversation, you are with a lady , men among themselves, over a Florentine steak and a bottle (and not one, I think) of Chianti ...;) and in general, as I understood from the topic, your husband "brewed" - what are his thoughts;)?

This article will talk about national dishes on the New Year and Christmas holiday table. But first, a short introduction about whether it is customary to celebrate the New Year in all countries of the world.

January 1 is New Year's Eve according to the Gregorian calendar. But on the world map there are countries in which the New Year comes at a completely different time. Or this date is not assigned the status of a holiday and weekend. In which countries do not celebrate the new year?

For example, Muslim countries do not celebrate the new year, since the celebration of the change of dates is alien to Islam in principle. Muslims can go to a restaurant or home dinner on this day at the invitation of friends, but rather out of respect.

Some countries living according to the Persian calendar celebrate the new year - Navruz - on March 22. For example, Iran, Afghanistan. And on this occasion, specific national dishes are being prepared.

In some countries with a Persian cultural heritage, both holidays are celebrated (January 1 and March 22), but they are given different meanings. For example, in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Albania and Macedonia.

In Israel, the New Year - Rosh Hashanah - is celebrated according to the Jewish calendar and this happens in the fall. And on January 1, the New Year is celebrated only by people from the former USSR.

In Asian countries, rich in their national holidays and rituals, there is an equal attitude towards January 1. For example, in South Korea, January 1 is a day off, but you should not expect magnificent celebrations, they will happen later - on the day of the Korean New Year - Seollal, which is set according to the lunar calendar.

A similar story is in China. There are no noisy festivities and folk festivals on January 1. And the Chinese New Year (Chunjie), which falls on the period from January 21 to February 21, is already celebrated on a grand scale, with fireworks, processions and a traditional family dinner.

It is no secret that in the Catholic part of Europe and America, Christmas, which is celebrated on December 25, is of great importance, and all the main efforts and festive preparations are directed to this holiday. The New Year is celebrated more modestly and in the format of parties with friends.

And in countries located on the territory of the post-Soviet space and professing Orthodoxy, the New Year is celebrated earlier than Orthodox Christmas (January 7), and, as a rule, more magnificent feasts are arranged on New Year's Eve from December 31 to January 1. It has been since the time Soviet Union, when religious holidays were forbidden by the authorities and people began to celebrate the New Year on a large scale.

Gathering at the festive table for the whole family is a wonderful tradition! New Year's holiday table - as one of the symbols of the holiday. Some countries have developed their own superstitions about what needs to be put on the table in order to attract happiness, prosperity, good luck in the coming year, and what dishes should be avoided. The recipes of some traditional dishes have not changed for centuries!

Let's go with you on a gastronomic journey through the countries and see what dishes are on the Christmas and New Year tables in the countries celebrating these holidays!

What do they eat for New Year and Christmas in different countries?

Italy

Christmas is the most important and expected holiday of the year in the Catholic part of Europe! But, probably, the strongest emotions and adherence to traditions are in Italy, where almost the entire population professes the Catholic faith. In addition, it is in Italy that the Vatican is located, where the Pope conducts a festive mass.

After the Christmas Mass, the Italians gather at home for.

In each region and family there is a certain established order. Someone prepares a fast eve dinner, and the next day arranges a sumptuous festive dinner. For some, one flows smoothly into the other. On the Lenten table cooked, as a rule, (eel or cod), with spaghetti. For a gala dinner, the hostesses offer and, or cold cuts, sausages, tortellini ( italian dumplings) in the broth.

For dessert - Italian pies: panettone (cake with dried fruits, reminiscent of Easter cake) and pandoro ("golden bread"), e, as well as dried fruits and nuts.

But it is not customary to treat apples, as they symbolize original sin.

Christmas festivities smoothly flow into New Year's. Italy is a country of fun, so the New Year is celebrated here noisily and cheerfully.

On the New Year's table there are the same Italian dishes. Traditional fish and seafood. It is believed that fish caviar eaten on New Year's Eve will bring wealth.

Must-have pork dishes: pork legs and sausage - which symbolize the movement forward. But chicken dishes are avoided.

Also, nuts, lentils and - as a symbol of health and longevity are put on the table.

Traditional holiday baking there is also a place on the New Year's table.

A glass for the New Year is raised not with champagne, but with Italian wine!

England

For the English, Christmas is a family holiday with many traditions and customs. It is believed that how you celebrate Christmas is how you will spend the next year, so everyone tries to have fun from the heart and set a rich table.

As a side dish - baked vegetables or potatoes. Favorite sauces - and sauce from.

For dessert you will be served Plum pudding. This is a traditional holiday dessert in the UK and Ireland. For its preparation, bread crumbs, prunes, raisins, almonds, honey are used. Pudding is considered a family tradition and its recipe can be passed down through generations. It is prepared, as a rule, in advance - 2-4 weeks before the holidays. During serving, they flambé - pour cognac or rum over it and set it on fire.

Traditional ones with dried fruits and nuts are also prepared in advance.

The sweet table is quite diverse, on it you will find shortbread and macaroons, shortbread and sweet rolls. From strong drinks the British prefer -, punch and English spiced ale, the bowl with which is traditionally raised for health and well-being!

The New Year is celebrated with cheerful companies in pubs or at home, but without a magnificent feast, with alcoholic drinks and light snacks.

In New Zealand, Australia and other countries that were English colonies, the traditions of celebrating Christmas, including culinary ones, have passed.

America

And in the New Year, they manage with snacks and drinks, indulging in fun. They prefer strong alcoholic drinks and.

There are many versions of the origin of the world's first cocktail, up to the most romantic ones. But they are all connected in one way or another with the “cock tail”. It is confirmed in writing that the first mention of a cocktail was in 1806 in New York, in the Balance and Columbian Repository, where the following definition was given to a cocktail - “A stimulating liquor consisting of any alcoholic drink with the addition of sugar, water and bitters from herbs."

Among New Year's cocktails Americans are popular with:

Red Currant Champagne - a cocktail of champagne and redcurrant or cranberry puree;

Ginger Sparkler - champagne, ginger slices and sugar;

Champagne Punch and Sangria - punches and sangria with different berries and fruits;

Cranberry Sparkler is a non-alcoholic cocktail based on cranberry puree, orange juice and carbonated water.

In the cuisine of the southern states, the influence of Latin American cuisine is also felt. On the Christmas table, there may be tamal - a dish of meat and corn, which is cooked in corn leaves.

Canada

In the English-speaking part of Canada, Christmas dinners are similar to English and American dinners.

The main dish of the table is turkey. Served with potatoes or mashed potatoes, Cranberry Sauce.

For dessert, pudding. Bake traditional.

Obviously, in the French-speaking part of the country, the traditions of France dominate.

France

In France main holiday year is Christmas.

The whole family gathers for reveillon - dinner on Christmas night - on December 24 and indulges in a feast almost until the morning. exquisite and diverse, replete with a large number of vegetable dishes, cheeses that are famous throughout the world, high-quality wines,.

Needless to say, Christmas dinner turns into a gourmet feast.

The French are gourmets, there are always delicacies on the festive table: foie gras (goose liver), oysters, king prawns, and others, as well as French cheeses and roasted chestnuts.

A number of dishes have a ritual past and symbolize this or that action.

A traditional dish on the French table is a bird, goose or duck cooked with a special delicacy, stuffed, for example, with champignons, goose liver or truffles, marinated with the addition of various spices and baked.

Another traditional dish is the festive rooster, the kaplan, which is bred and fed in a special way for its larger size and more delicate taste.

Another tribute to tradition is the Christmas log - Buche de Noel. There was an ancient custom of burning a Christmas log, dating back to paganism, when the arrival of the winter solstice was celebrated by burning a log. Now no one burns the log, but the tribute to tradition has remained, and the log appears on Christmas night in the form of a sweet roll on French tables. The French also have territorial gastronomic features of the Christmas table.

Le pain calendeau is a traditional Christmas bread from the south of France, part of which is given to the poor.

In Provence, it is customary to serve 13 desserts (according to the number of 12 Apostles and Christ), which include all kinds of sweets and dried fruits.

And, of course, all this variety is washed down with French wine and champagne. And what else, in the homeland of the drink?

Belgium

In European countries that border on each other and have common historical roots, cultural and culinary traditions.

Belgian cuisine has incorporated many of the French, Austrian and German.

On the festive table of Belgium there are meat dishes, a special role is given to pork (it is considered the most prolific animal).

Among the sweets, in many respects similar to all European ones, one can note the Christmas wreath - ritual cookies with almond filling, sprinkled with almonds and candied fruits, in the form of a ring. , which the Belgians consider their national product, can be found here all year round, even on the New Year's table.

Germany

Christmas in Germany is the most long-awaited holiday of the year. Preparations for it begin in advance. Already in November, Christmas markets begin to work in the cities. On them you will meet all the attributes of Christmas, decorations, souvenirs, try traditional spicy mulled wine, and other national treats.

A few weeks before Christmas, the Germans prepare (Stollen) - a traditional Christmas cake. To prepare it, raisins and dried fruits are soaked in cognac or rum in advance, and after baking, the stollen is generously sprinkled with powdered sugar and sent for storage - to ripen until Christmas night.

On Christmas Eve itself, or Holy Night (Weihnachten), German families gather around a richly laid festive table.

As in many other European countries, the main dish on the festive table is roast goose. It can be prepared with apples and prunes, or with dumplings, and each family has its own signature recipe.

Garnished with potatoes and vegetables. In addition to the goose, be sure to serve stewed cabbage(Sauerkraut) and fried sausage or pork knuckle (Eisbein).

Also on the Christmas table is always present.

And this is not accidental, since the fish is an ancient symbol of Christianity.

In general, everything that is served on the table on Christmas Eve is symbolic. There is a tradition of serving seven or nine courses for the "holy supper". Mostly cereals, seeds, and other products that represent new life - wheat, peas, beans, nuts, poppy seeds, caviar, eggs. BUT wheat porridge, seasoned with oil and honey, are attributed magical properties. solid and sound, like everything German. Many recipes have survived to this day unchanged from the Middle Ages.

In pre-Christian times, the Germanic peoples celebrated the winter solstice at about the same time. Therefore, many dishes have retained their recipes, but acquired a new meaning and moved into the category of Christmas.

Originally, traditional German pastries were gifts to the pagan gods, who were coaxed with gingerbread, marzipan, and fruit pies.

And now baking is always present on the tables in the form of stollen, gingerbread and gingerbread houses.

In eastern Germany, it is popular, which shows the influence of the national gastronomic culture of the eastern neighbors.

Austria, Hungary

Also, the Wiener Schnitzel, which has found worldwide popularity, can be served.

And, of course, pastries, which Austrian cuisine is famous for. It can be classic, Linz tart, Sacher cake and others.

In Hungary, it is customary to serve traditional bagels - poppy seeds and nut rolls - to the festive table.

Norway, Sweden, Finland

Let's look in the north of Europe, in the Scandinavian countries, and see how Christmas is celebrated in Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Christmas is also the main holiday of the year for them. Each of these countries has its own peculiarities of celebrating this event.

Finland is the place where the tale of Santa Claus comes true. After all, it is here, in Lapland, that the residence of Santa Claus (in Finnish - Yolupukki).

Christmas Eve is about the same as in other European countries: a church service, a meeting with relatives, a festive table.

Finland's main Christmas dish is Ham. For garnish - baked vegetables: potatoes, carrots, rutabagas. Of the cold appetizers, the Finns prefer beetroot salad (similar to ours).

There must be milk on the table rice porrige with almonds. According to legend, the one who gets it will be lucky and good health next year.

A lot of pastries are being prepared, including traditional Gingerbread Cookie and puffs with plum jam.

The traditional drink of the winter holidays is spicy glög, which is very similar to mulled wine.

Norway also has a respectful attitude towards Christmas and touching traditions.

For preparation festive dishes, do not forget to leave a plate of treats for the Norwegian Santa Claus - Julenissa, as well as feed the birds. The holiday is held quietly and in a family way.

Fish is a must on the festive table: a cod dish called lutefix and herring.

Pork ribs, roll and sausages. Garnished with mashed potatoes.

And for dessert - rice cream with nuts and 7 types of cookies.

In Sweden, there are now tendencies not to bring the religious component of the holiday to the fore, Christmas for the Swedes is a period of “seasonal greetings”, an occasion to gather relatives and friends, exchange wishes and gifts.

As in all Scandinavian countries, fish dominate. The Swedes have it fish casserole- The Temptation of Jansson. The filling of the Christmas table is traditional for the Scandinavian peoples - pork (ribs, ham, aspic); pickled herring and cod; sweet rice porridge, gingerbread cookies and saffron buns, which are baked here on the feast of St. Lucia (December 13).

Russia

Russia occupies a vast expanse from the Baltic in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south. Needless to say, how diverse are the traditions and cuisine of the nationalities inhabiting the country?

For example, in the cuisine of northerners there are a lot of sea fish, rye pies, mushrooms. It is similar to Scandinavian cuisine. On the Don, they cook game, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, much in cooking was adopted from the Turks. And in Siberia and the Urals - among the Tatars and Udmurts. phenomenally versatile!

Culinary traditions have undergone significant changes in the course of historical events. These are the reforms of Peter the Great, when elements of Western European culture, way of life, and culinary traditions were borrowed. Under Peter I - from Holland and Germany. And under Catherine II and Alexander I - France.

The Soviet era also formed certain tastes and laid down the culinary traditions of entire generations of the people.

And despite the fact that under Peter I, the transition to the Gregorian calendar took place and a decree was issued to celebrate the new year on January 1 and decorate the house with Christmas trees, it was in Soviet time this holiday has acquired a dominant role, replacing Christmas.

Calendarly, the New Year comes earlier than Orthodox Christmas (January 7), so it accounts for larger celebrations.

The New Year's table matches the scope of the holiday and the breadth of the Russian soul. The abundance of cold - from pickles (

For garnish - potatoes in the form of mashed potatoes or baked, vegetables. If it comes to dessert, then this could be it!

Tangerines and champagne - another symbol of the New Year!

Now imagine that this whole set can be supplemented with regional and family traditional dishes and drinks!

For people who keep the Christmas fast, “to resist” is a serious test.

But the more joyful is the meeting of Christmas and the Christmas meal!

A traditional Christmas dish is kutia, a wheat dish with honey, poppy seeds, raisins and nuts.

Since the time of Rus', pork dishes have been served on the Christmas table: sausages, jelly and even a roasted pig. In addition, other meat dishes were prepared: goose with apples, hare in sour cream, lamb.

An indispensable dish for Christmas, as well as for all holidays, were pies: open and closed, kulebyaks, pies, kurniki, saiki, shangi, as well as. They washed down with mead and sbiten.

All kinds of gingerbread, marshmallow, cookies, and brushwood relied on the sweet table.

Many of these dishes are still being cooked today, perhaps not on such a grand scale…

The common history of Russia with the peoples of Ukraine, Belarus and the countries of Eastern Europe professing Orthodoxy makes the traditions of celebrating Christmas and New Year, including culinary ones, similar.

Our gastronomic journey is coming to an end, although the list of countries and the study of their traditions is endless!

The history and traditions of the countries of the world, despite regional peculiarities, have much in common! New Year and Christmas are warm family holidays. The main thing is not what you put on the festive table, but who will gather at it together to wish each other happiness, health and prosperity next year!

Christina Belko

Hello! My name is Christina. When I was a little girl, I loved to look at my mother's cookbooks and sculpted plasticine dishes for her dolls. Now I myself am a mother of two kids and love to pamper them with different goodies. Search for interesting recipes and exchange culinary wisdom became a hobby for me. I draw inspiration from my family, books and walks around the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. For my family, I choose tasty and healthy food. When preparing, I use simple and available ingredients, I often resort to the help of a double boiler. I love Russian cuisine, I think it is part of our history and culture. Also, in our menu, dishes of national cuisines that have proven themselves all over the world often appear. The recipes that I offer you are loved by my family and friends. I hope you enjoy them as well! I will be happy to answer your questions, accept comments and suggestions! Leave your comments on the site or email me [email protected] and @kristinabelko on Instagram.