Lent means fish
Lent at the table: what to eat in Lent all the customs of Italy. 😻
Crazy about fish! During Lent, it is typical to eat a lighter diet, thanks to the advent of milder temperatures. It is customary to fast from red meat and heavy foods. The perfect time to rediscover the flavors of the sea. Crustaceans, fish, molluscs, lend themselves to an infinite number of classic and creative recipes, united by their healthy properties and low calorie content!
What are the food customs of Lent? The forty days that separate Carnival from Easter are called Lent according to the Catholic religion and, especially in the past, were subject to dietary restrictions that prohibited the consumption of certain types of ingredients. In Lent, animal fats and meat are not contemplated, which is why it is customary to say that we eat lean.
Today, fortunately, we are far from the period in which observing Lent was an obligation, but this could be a time to purify your body before indulging in the rich Easter recipes. As with all traditional recipes, those of the Lenten period vary according to the regions of Italy. The customs and ingredients are different, as they should be, because each territory has its fruits depending on the season.
What you can eat during LentThe Lenten season, unless it is observed very scrupulously, is not so bad from the point of view of "allowed" ingredients. All vegetables and legumes, fish and bread, but also polenta are allowed.
What you can't eat during LentIn the past, those who observed Lent following not only the spiritual part, but also the food part, could not eat meat for the whole period and in any case never on the Friday before Easter. Animal fats (butter, lard, lard) are also prohibited, along with eggs and dairy products.
Lent's recipesAlthough Lent is no longer observed in a very active way, you have certainly heard the saying "fare un fioretto", which means avoiding eating a certain food (usually sugars or fats) for these forty days. This can only be good for our body. In addition, there are numerous delicious Lenten recipes that deserve to be known and tried, if only to rediscover historical flavors and because the culture of a country or a period also depends on what was put on the table.
Cod and stock fishCod and stock fish have always been considered important ingredients in this period. The fried cod is excellent, typical of Neapolitan and southern Italian cuisine, which can be prepared both in larger slices and in more practical crunchy morsels. Very tasty are also the recipes for Genoese stock fish, typical of Liguria, and that of stewed cod characteristic of Veneto. Cod and stock fish are the same part as cod, only the former is preserved in salt, while the latter is air-dried. The cod must therefore be well washed before its preparation, in some cases it was even left to soak in milk to soften its flavor. Stock fish must be regenerated and left to soak in water or milk to recover its softness.
The first courses of LentThere are many typical pasta recipes for Lent. Among these are pasta with sardines, typically Sicilian and particularly tasty and cheap. This first course is very easy to make and you can get a variation by adding wild fennel. Spaghetti with anchovy sauce is also one of the typical recipes of the period. What we know today as colatura di alici, in Roman times was garum, a condiment that was obtained by squeezing sardines or anchovies. Another typical dish of this period that anticipates Easter is that of lean lasagna. Typical of the Piedmont tradition, this lasagna does not contain meat, but a mixture of capers and anchovies. The classic lean lasagna has then been replaced with white lasagna with vegetables, which are perfect for delighting other times of the year, especially spring which sees the explosion of colors and flavors of dozens of vegetables.
The other dishes of LentIn addition to first courses, there are also Lenten recipes that can be considered main courses or main courses. This is the case of the Scammaro omelet, a pasta omelet that is prepared without eggs. This is one of the typical dishes of Naples and it is a fairly dated recipe. The first notes of this preparation date back to 1837, when Duke Buonvicino included it in a gastronomic volume on Neapolitan specialties. It seems that the first version of this omelet was commissioned by clerical institutions precisely for Lent, a time of the year when it was necessary to follow the lean diet. In this omelet, prepared without meat and eggs, the main ingredients are oil, garlic, raisins, olives, capers, anchovies, pine nuts and parsley. The spaghetti, flavored with this sautéed sauce, is sautéed in a pan until it forms a light and pleasant crust. As a preparation technique, they are very similar to spaghetti all'Assassina, but in the white version.
Lenten gastronomy also has other ingredients in its basket, such as herring, which in the past was dried or preserved in brine. There is a curiosity related to this fish and Lent and it is really a representation. In the Middle Ages, this period was represented by an elderly, barefoot and rather thin woman holding a herring in her hand. This fish was that of the poor and it seems that a single unit must have sufficed for a single family. The recipe for herring in salad with apples and marinated herring is excellent. Another typical recipe of this period is Cappon Magro, a curious name for a recipe, quite elaborate, of Ligurian origins. It is a kind of seafood salad with different fish and shellfish, combined with a green sauce with pleasantly acidic notes.
The bread of Lent is undoubtedly the ramerino bread, made from a classic dough made of flour, water and yeast, to which a fragrant mixture of rosemary and raisins is added. These buns are usually prepared in small, slightly flattened pieces. Excellent for a snack, but also to accompany the dishes of a more traditional lunch.
Among the desserts of Lent, maritozzi stand out, but you should know that there are different versions. The most famous ones are the Roman maritozzi, small and fluffy round and shiny buns that embrace a generous filling of whipped cream. There are other variations, such as the maritozzi from the Marche region which are slightly elongated and the from Puglia which are braided. The filling, in addition to sweetened cream, can also include raisins and candied orange peel.
Lent at the table: what to eat in Lent all the customs of Italy. 😻
Crazy about fish! During Lent, it is typical to eat a lighter diet, thanks to the advent of milder temperatures. It is customary to fast from red meat and heavy foods. The perfect time to rediscover the flavors of the sea. Crustaceans, fish, molluscs, lend themselves to an infinite number of classic and creative recipes, united by their healthy properties and low calorie content!
What are the food customs of Lent? The forty days that separate Carnival from Easter are called Lent according to the Catholic religion and, especially in the past, were subject to dietary restrictions that prohibited the consumption of certain types of ingredients. In Lent, animal fats and meat are not contemplated, which is why it is customary to say that we eat lean.
Today, fortunately, we are far from the period in which observing Lent was an obligation, but this could be a time to purify your body before indulging in the rich Easter recipes. As with all traditional recipes, those of the Lenten period vary according to the regions of Italy. The customs and ingredients are different, as they should be, because each territory has its fruits depending on the season.
What you can eat during Lent
The Lenten season, unless it is observed very scrupulously, is not so bad from the point of view of "allowed" ingredients. All vegetables and legumes, fish and bread, but also polenta are allowed.
What you can't eat during Lent
In the past, those who observed Lent following not only the spiritual part, but also the food part, could not eat meat for the whole period and in any case never on the Friday before Easter. Animal fats (butter, lard, lard) are also prohibited, along with eggs and dairy products.
Lent's recipes
Although Lent is no longer observed in a very active way, you have certainly heard the saying "fare un fioretto", which means avoiding eating a certain food (usually sugars or fats) for these forty days. This can only be good for our body. In addition, there are numerous delicious Lenten recipes that deserve to be known and tried, if only to rediscover historical flavors and because the culture of a country or a period also depends on what was put on the table.
Cod and stock fish
Cod and stock fish have always been considered important ingredients in this period. The fried cod is excellent, typical of Neapolitan and southern Italian cuisine, which can be prepared both in larger slices and in more practical crunchy morsels. Very tasty are also the recipes for Genoese stock fish, typical of Liguria, and that of stewed cod characteristic of Veneto. Cod and stock fish are the same part as cod, only the former is preserved in salt, while the latter is air-dried. The cod must therefore be well washed before its preparation, in some cases it was even left to soak in milk to soften its flavor. Stock fish must be regenerated and left to soak in water or milk to recover its softness.
The first courses of Lent
There are many typical pasta recipes for Lent. Among these are pasta with sardines, typically Sicilian and particularly tasty and cheap. This first course is very easy to make and you can get a variation by adding wild fennel. Spaghetti with anchovy sauce is also one of the typical recipes of the period. What we know today as colatura di alici, in Roman times was garum, a condiment that was obtained by squeezing sardines or anchovies. Another typical dish of this period that anticipates Easter is that of lean lasagna. Typical of the Piedmont tradition, this lasagna does not contain meat, but a mixture of capers and anchovies. The classic lean lasagna has then been replaced with white lasagna with vegetables, which are perfect for delighting other times of the year, especially spring which sees the explosion of colors and flavors of dozens of vegetables.
The other dishes of Lent
In addition to first courses, there are also Lenten recipes that can be considered main courses or main courses. This is the case of the Scammaro omelet, a pasta omelet that is prepared without eggs. This is one of the typical dishes of Naples and it is a fairly dated recipe. The first notes of this preparation date back to 1837, when Duke Buonvicino included it in a gastronomic volume on Neapolitan specialties. It seems that the first version of this omelet was commissioned by clerical institutions precisely for Lent, a time of the year when it was necessary to follow the lean diet. In this omelet, prepared without meat and eggs, the main ingredients are oil, garlic, raisins, olives, capers, anchovies, pine nuts and parsley. The spaghetti, flavored with this sautéed sauce, is sautéed in a pan until it forms a light and pleasant crust. As a preparation technique, they are very similar to spaghetti all'Assassina, but in the white version.
Lenten gastronomy also has other ingredients in its basket, such as herring, which in the past was dried or preserved in brine. There is a curiosity related to this fish and Lent and it is really a representation. In the Middle Ages, this period was represented by an elderly, barefoot and rather thin woman holding a herring in her hand. This fish was that of the poor and it seems that a single unit must have sufficed for a single family. The recipe for herring in salad with apples and marinated herring is excellent. Another typical recipe of this period is Cappon Magro, a curious name for a recipe, quite elaborate, of Ligurian origins. It is a kind of seafood salad with different fish and shellfish, combined with a green sauce with pleasantly acidic notes.
The bread of Lent is undoubtedly the ramerino bread, made from a classic dough made of flour, water and yeast, to which a fragrant mixture of rosemary and raisins is added. These buns are usually prepared in small, slightly flattened pieces. Excellent for a snack, but also to accompany the dishes of a more traditional lunch.
Among the desserts of Lent, maritozzi stand out, but you should know that there are different versions. The most famous ones are the Roman maritozzi, small and fluffy round and shiny buns that embrace a generous filling of whipped cream. There are other variations, such as the maritozzi from the Marche region which are slightly elongated and the from Puglia which are braided. The filling, in addition to sweetened cream, can also include raisins and candied orange peel.
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