Traditional New Year's menu in Italy

The new year is coming, those who are preparing to spend New Year's Eve at home with friends and relatives are already thinking about what to bring to the table. Roast, sarma, Russian salad and desserts are indispensable dishes in Serbian homes, and what is being prepared in Italy for the craziest night?

In Italian cuisine, tradition has a great influence. Although the dishes and customs are different in different regions, the New Year's menu has some points in common.

The New Year's table must be rich, in some regions strictly based on fish. It starts with appetizers: a platter of cheeses and typical salami, ham, olives, bruschetta and canapés. Pasta is a must in Italian cuisine, and if at Christmas almost everyone ate the stuffed one, go-ahead for the choice of the first course for the New Year's Eve dinner: tortellini, spaghetti, risotto ... Those who opt for the fish menu prepare the seafood risotto, spaghetti with clams followed by octopus, cod. A bit of dried fruit, pomegranate and grapes, and then the party ends with delicacies: panettone and pandoro, marzipan, tiramisu, cakes, with champagne or sparkling wine mandatory at midnight.

The Italian culinary tradition, however, requires that certain dishes are served on New Year's Eve which are believed to be conducive to luck, abundance, prosperity and well-being throughout the year. So, what should not be missing at the table?

New Year’s Good Luck Food

Considered since ancient times synonymous with abundance and money, lentils are an indispensable dish at New Year's table. Eating lentils on New Year's Eve means treating yourself to a year full of wealth and abundance. The tradition probably derives from the fact that lentils have a shape similar to coins, in addition to having a great nutritional value.

They are usually served as a side dish with cotechino, another dish that cannot be missing from the menu on New Year's Eve, a symbol of wealth and well-being, perhaps because it is fat and "rich". They bring them to the table after midnight to bring wealth into the new year.

Another food not to forget when shopping for New Year's Eve is grapes. According to popular tradition, at midnight it is necessary to eat at least twelve grains, one for each month of the new year, to ensure prosperity and good luck.

In addition, pomegranate, red and sweet fruit, a symbol of loyalty and fertility, is equally desirable for the new year. If eaten together with your partner, gives a year full of prosperity and loyalty.

And finally, it is impossible not to welcome the new year with bubbles, champagne, sparkling wine or prosecco. Important at the time of the toast, moisten your finger with bubbles and congratulate by rubbing it on the back of the ears.

In the end, it remains to wear something red and spend the night with loved ones.

Happy New Year!