Easter is one of the most important celebrations and holidays in the entirety of Italy, commemorating the rising of Jesus from his tomb after being crucified. Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday with various brunches and dinners finally arriving at the Monday following Easter which is the high point of these Spring days, incorporating festivals, dances, feasts, parties and parades. Although a highly religious holiday, when broken down to its roots, it is a joyful celebration of life, rebirth and the new bounties of nature.
Italians believe in family and they build strong societal bonds by treating every meal with respect, knowing what great quality food is and always opting to celebrate in unison, keeping their loved ones closeby. It is a well-known fact that Italy, especially the southern region has much more centenarians than any other regions of Europe. Research shows that this is simply because people are surrounded by loved ones or family, they have a great diet consisting of home made food and live relatively stress free in close-knit communities.
Knowing all of this, it is no wonder the Easter table is so highly regarded and people enjoy it wholeheartedly - it has two very important elements of the Italian lifestyle: family and great food.
In the more northern parts of the country, the Italian Easter Table consists of ravioli in brodo, mushroom risotto, roasted rabbit with potatoes and a dessert called Colomba. The highlight is the Colomba, while the breaking of the chocolate egg is also a well-spread tradition.
Take a sneak peek with us into the southern parts of the country, especially Naples where Easter to this day is treated with the respect it absolutely deserves and let’s see what highly specific meals and courses can be found during these wondrous few days, every year.
Colomba - The unmistakable desert
If the traditional cake during Christmas is Panettone, then Colomba is the cake everyone can’t wait to get their hands on during Easter.
The origins of Colomba Pasquale (Ester Dove) go back to the Middle Ages, and as with every great food and dessert, it has a memorable story: King Alboino, after many years of siege, finally entered Pavia on the day before Easter. An old baker created a dessert in the shape of a dove for the King to calm him down, declaring his dessert a tribute of peace during Easter. The dessert smelled of rich honey and was so inviting, the King agreed to the peace.
The Colomba in fact is a delicious sweet bread and a precious addition to any table, which has the power to bring together beloved relatives and friends, with the promise of peace and happiness.
This year we have prepared a surprise for all lovers of Italian and especially Neapolitan cuisine: Colomba created with buffalo milk, a true delicacy you can actually taste, directly offered by our shop.
Buffalo milk is much richer in proteins, good fats, vitamins and minerals so naturally the end product, the Colomba, will also be of richer consistency, with an incomparable taste.
Our cake is created with Tenuta Agrilat dairy, an italian product known for a fresh taste, the delicate serosity of buffalo milk and the high attention to detail they put into every single product they create.
Our Colomba comes in different types, so you will be able to choose your absolute favorite, or try them all if you are feeling especially hedonistic this time of the year: classic, al limone (lemon), nuts and figs, and frutti di bosco (berries).
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