christmas – The Grapevine

Christmas is just a few days away and this big holiday usually comes with a lot of nostalgia and tradition. Every family has traditions to look forward to every year. Eating certain foods, spending days baking with loved ones, going to certain events… that’s the beauty of Christmastime! It evokes a certain joy and something to look forward to or count on each year.

Whether you are making new traditions or upholding life long ones– tradition is important to us! We know that many traditions revolve around food and we love to be a part of your family traditions.

One of our main goals is to keep tradition alive and we do this by having all the foods you grew up enjoying on Christmas! Here are 5 Italian Christmas Staples

Panettone

Panettone is a sweet bread, often filled with raisins and candied oranges (also available in a variety of other flavors), that is enjoyed as a dessert. It is an Italian holiday tradition to give panettone as a gift to be shared.

Cartellate

Cartellate are a classic dessert. Thin, fried dough that is coated with either honey or vino cotto, a fig syrup! The dough is made with simple ingredients, including wine. They are very common in the Puglia region and are said to resemble the halo around the infant Jesus or the crown of thorns Jesus wore during his crucifixion. We have both varieties imported from Italy.

Making your own? Although simple ingredients, the process is tedious, but another beautiful tradition shared by many families. We sell vincotto in stores!

Torrone

Torrone is a nougat candy found on many Italian dessert tables. Available in individual boxes, it is made with honey, sugar, and egg whites with toasted almonds or candied fruit!

Panforte

Panforte is a chewy cake dessert often made with fruit or nuts. It hails from Siena and is a dense, flavorful cake!

Cookies

Christmas cookies are a staple all around the world, but the type of cookie you prefer is what makes the tradition special! Italians have tons of special cookies which have memories linked back to Christmastime. Rainbow cookies, fig cookies, almond cookies… we have them all!

We hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas!

From Our Family To Yours

Christmas is less than a week away! Last minute shopping and preparation is being done. Every family has different traditions. Whether traditions revolve around games, presents, or food– there are many different rituals that people look forward to every holiday season. An important tradition in our family and many Italian-American families is the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes gained popularity in America; however, is not known as the same thing in Italy. Each region of Italy has different meals that they prepare for La Vigilia, or Christmas Eve, so the traditional meals tend to vary region by region. Although the meals are different, they mainly consume of light, meatless dishes. Angelo Caputo grew up in Mola di Bari and would enjoy frittelle (fried dough) and capitone (eel) on Christmas Eve. As with many Italian traditions, they are rooted in faith. Many people speculate that the tradition gets its name because seven is a motif in the bible– the sacraments, days of creation, and more!

The Feast of the Seven Fishes was created based upon the traditional meals enjoyed around Italy during Christmas Eve and stick with the meatless theme. The meal includes a variety of fish, each prepared in different ways. Every family has a different amount of fish types to eat– some eat 7 and some eat 10! There is no limit, it’s however many you and your family want!

We’re here to help you make your Christmas Eve meal and every meal a success! Stop by for all the food you need for your dishes! Whether it’s the Feast of the Seven Fishes or another a different tradition, we have what you need!

We want to hear your Christmas traditions! Comment down below or email your traditions to events@caputomarkets.com