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The Neapolitan pastry tradition for the Christmas holidays

The tasty Christmas delicacies from Campania are part of the centuries-old Neapolitan pastry tradition: roccocò, susamielli, divino amore, zeppole and struffoli, lead us by the hand in the liturgical period of Advent, to long evenings spent at home, to the game of tombola.

Zeppole or Ancient Scauratielli.

Typical of the Sorrento coast, they are fried donuts prepared with a dough made from flour, water, milk and aniseed, and seasoned with honey, riavulilli (for the uninitiated, they are microscopic sugared almonds of various colors that bring to mind the decorations of our Christmas) and orange peel.

Among the Neapolitan trades there was also that of the zeppolara who fried these donuts in lard or animal fat in the street and served them covered in honey.

Zeppole

Struffoli

Delicious sweet balls fried and dipped in honey. In Naples it is not Christmas without struffoli, that explosion of taste that makes you feel like a child again every time you eat them, golden and colorful with riavulilli and candied fruit.

The origin of struffoli is Greek: the name derives from strongulos, i.e. spherical, rounded or hollow-shaped pasta; this preparation is also consolidated in the Neapolitan confectionery tradition, the confections by the Nuns of the convents of the Croce of Lucca and those of S. Maria dello Splendore were splendid.

A little curiosity, in Greek cuisine, there is a similar sweet, the Loukoumades, mixed with flour, eggs, sugar, nutmeg and seasoned with honey flavored with lemon and cinnamon.

Struffoli

Mustacciuoli

The mustacciuoli have a rhomboidal shape, are about 10-12 cm large and are covered with a chocolate glaze, while inside they are characterized by a soft paste with a taste of honey and candied fruit.

These desserts are particularly loved by Neapolitan children for their softness and for the taste that combines honey and chocolate.

Mustacciuoli

Roccocò

Donut-shaped sweets, in which the scent of citrus fruits sends our thoughts back to the Mediterranean, its coasts and its flower gardens.

Impenetrable sweet, hard, suitable for those with solid teeth, its name comes from the French rocaille for the baroque and rounded shell shape.

It is a particularly hard biscuit so it can be softened by dipping it in vermouth, sparkling wine, white wine or marsala.

Roccocò

Divino Amore

History has it that, in the 13th century, the cloistered nuns of the Divino Amore convent, located near San Biagio dei Librai, prepared these sweet pastries to pay homage to Beatrice of Provence, mother of King Charles II of Anjou. Today the convent no longer exists, but the tradition of preparing Divino Amore has never stopped.

The Neapolitans love to taste these sweet oval pastries covered with a pink sugar glaze and filled with almonds, mixed candied fruit, eggs and apricot jam.

Divino Amore

Susamiello

It is one of those desserts that the Neapolitans always want to see on their festively laid table during the Christmas period. But don’t call it just a biscuit. It is, in fact, a dessert in all respects. Compared to the Roccocò of which they are distant relatives, the Susamielli are a little softer and have the characteristic “S” shape. They owe their name to the covering with sesame seeds and among the ingredients used to prepare them, the minced walnuts, honey, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg stand out for their aroma.

Susamiello

What is your favorite Neapolitan Christmas dessert, and above all, why?

The Feast of the Epiphany and Celebration of La Befana

The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated January 6 with a national holiday in Italy, and the tradition of La Befana are a big part of Italian Christmas celebrations. Epiphany commemorates the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts for Baby Jesus. The traditional Christmas holiday season in Italy lasts through Epiphany.

Like children around the world, kids in Italy as well, look forward to the arrival of the red-suited Babbo Natale on Christmas Eve.  However, this relatively modern tradition pales in comparison to the anticipation generated by the arrival of an old witch in early January. For Italians, La Festa dell’Epifania on January 6th is as significant a holiday as Christmas Day; especially for Italian children!

According to the Italian legend, La Befana, a witch-like woman riding on a broom, refused to join the Wise Men on their journey to see the baby Jesus. When she regrets her decision, she sets out to bring gifts to the Child but never finds him. Instead, she leaves gifts for other children. Italian children leave out their shoes or put up stockings for the Befana to fill on January 5th, Epiphany Eve.

And the legend continues that every Epiphany Eve, the old, tattered and soot-covered Befana flies around the world on a broomstick and comes down chimneys to deliver candy and presents to children who have been good during the year. For those who have fallen a bit short of model behavior, la Befana will leave lumps of coal.  Knowing that all kids can’t be perfect year-round, some shops in Italy sell carbone or black rock candy that actually looks like pieces of coal… so even those not quite perfect can still enjoy a sweet treat.

Unlike Santa Claus, La Befana has been an Italian tradition since the XIII century and comes from Christian legend rather than pop culture.

The arrival of la Befana is celebrated with traditional Italian foods such as panettone and marks the end of the long and festive holiday season in Italy. In honor of the Three Wise Men, Italians go to church and enjoy spending the day with family.