THE ITALIAN DOMENICA
A lunch, a myth
In the last 50 years, the eating habits of us Italians have changed a lot. With women’s emancipation, women have entered the economic system. The habit of consuming ready-to-eat foods and ready-to-use frozen products has also increased.
Today grandmothers are the true wealth of tradition because of their experience and knowledge in cooking. In fact, they are the protagonists of il pranzo della domenica. Sunday is the only day left to reunite the family and spend hours relaxing between good food and conviviality.
This weekly event is a real ceremony loved and widespread in every corner of Italy and perhaps represents the last bulwark of Italian gastronomy against junk food. During Sunday lunch in northern Italy there are about four / six people at the table and in the kitchen it is customary to experiment, giving space to innovation. In Southern Italy, there are on average six / eight people at the table and the recipes proposed are traditional ones.
One in two Italians say they don’t give up on il pranzo della domenica where they propose the great classics of Italian cuisine. From antipasti (sausages, cheeses, vegetables in oil, parmesan, etc.) to pasta (pasta al forno, ragù, gnocchi, lasagna) and then I secondi piatti, roasted meat (usually made on the barbecue). Sundays there is never a shortage of desserts (babà, zeppole, cannoli, bignè, etc).
And you, do you still have an Italian lunch on Sunday? What is your favorite dish?