There is no Easter without the dove

Thanks to the triumph of typical regional specialties that this year too will characterize the laid tables of Italians Easterit will be traditional desserts that will unify Italy from north to south, including the islands, with the dove advantaged compared tochocolate egg. In particular, the dove would be indicated as the Easter dessert par excellence by 60% of our compatriots (primarily Gen X men and Boomer women) while the chocolate egg would stop at 55.3%. The ideal end of a meal for one in four Italians would, in turn, be grappa. This was revealed by a study conducted on the habits of Italians during Easter AstraRicerche for Grappa Libarna (Montenegro Group) which involved a sample of over 1,000 people aged between 35 and 75.

Going into detail, while in Valle d’Aosta the ‘crescia’ is put on the table, a savory pie made with mature cheeses, in Liguria the ‘torta pasqualina’ cannot be missing, a puff pastry filled with spinach and ricotta, as in Veneto and Trentino are crazy about ‘fugassa’ and ‘brazadèl’ respectively. In Emilia-Romagna, however, the ‘bensone’ is the most popular, perfect for dipping in a glass of Lambrusco at the end of the meal, while in Friuli the ‘pistun’, a meatball made from stale bread, is eaten.

Moving towards central Italy, in Tuscany the most loved Easter dish is the ‘pasimata della Garfagnana’ while in Umbria the cheese pizza wins above all. In the Marche the ‘strozzose donuts’ triumph, light and fragrant, while in Lazio and, more precisely, in Rome, the ‘abbacchio al brodetto’ is the unmissable dish. Not to be missed in Abruzzo is the ‘lamb cacio e ova’ while in Campania the ‘casatiello’ and the ‘pastiera’ are much loved.

Next, Molise is the home of ‘fiadoni’, delicious stuffed dumplings, just as Puglia is the home of ‘scarcelle’, sweets made with shortcrust pastry and icing. In Basilicata we enjoy the ‘picciddata’, bread made with hard-boiled eggs, and in Calabria the characteristic ‘cuzzupe’. Moving on to the islands, finally, in Sicily we note the ‘u’ sciusceddu’ from Messina, a typical soup of French origin, while in Sardinia we find a doll-shaped bread, the ‘sa pippia de Caresima’.