Neapolitan Christmas Food

FOOD

Food is very delicious and plentiful at any time of year in Naples, let alone at Christmas! Here is a traditional Christmas menu....some of the recipes can be found in the recipe page of the Naples section.

Traditional Neapolitan Christmas Menu

Cenone della Vigilia (24th Dec late dinner)

Spaghetti alle Vongole (spaghetti with clams)
Baccala`fritto or baccala` in bianco and capitone fritto (salted cod-fried in batter or just with lemon and fried eel)
Insalata di Rinforzo e Broccoli al Limone ( Special Cauliflower & Pickle salad and broccoli with lemon)

Pranzo di Natale (25th December lunch)

Minestra Maritata
Gallina in Brodo
Insalata di Rinforzo

Dolci di Natale

Struffoli (photo on right)
Roccoco`(gingerbread biscuits, sometimes covered in chocolate)
Panettone (very light sponge cake with dried fruit pieces, dusted with icing sugar)
Mustaccioli (biscuits covered in icing)
Susamielli

This is the classic traditional menu, and can vary e.g. Christmas Eve everyone generally eats fresh fish, some may choose not to have baccala` or capitone, but might opt for spigola or orata with oil and lemon. Another variation may be to have a dish with Ragu` Napolitana following the Minestra Maritata for lunch on Christmas Day (minestra maritata is a kind of stew with pork, chicken and greens).Other traditional dishes that are eaten around this time, are; scarola (fried escarole with pine nuts, anchovies, black olives and raisins), crocche` ( crocche` potatoes), and caponata (vegetable dish with main ingredients as aubergines and tomatoes). These recipes and some others from the traditional menu can be found in our Neapolitan recipes link.

The sweet struffoli (photo above right), along with sfogliatella and pastiera, is one of the most famous Neapolitan sweets. It is made up of small biscuits, covered in honey, candied fruits and hundreds and thousands. It has been suggested that struffoli (`e struffole in Neapolitan) could have originated from the Greek, as the Greek word strongoulos describes something 'rounded'. At one time, it was traditionally prepared by nuns in convents at Christmas time, but today it can be found all through Naples in every bakery, bar or restaurant.

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