Fewer foreign delicacies, with Russian caviar and salmon banned and foie gras reduced to nothing by the avian flu , and more traditional dishes, from roast cappelletti and Russian salad , from large and varied fried chicken dishes and stuffed rabbit, right up to special occasion desserts, whether leavened or almond-based.

Between wars and economic uncertainties, Italians, willingly and unwillingly, try to save and celebrate Christmas by making the most of local wines and home recipes .

According to an estimate by Confcooperative , Italians will spend 2.9 billion euros for Christmas dinner: 400 million more than last year and 200 million more than pre-Covid Christmas .

The surge in spending is determined, however, not by greater consumption, but by general increases in prices.

For the Christmas menu, tradition is in pole position: clams and seafood for the first courses (165 million euros, the blue crab effect weighing heavily on seafood, which has decimated crops especially in the upper Adriatic); fish for second courses (495 million euros); meat, cured meats and eggs (510 million euros); wines, sparkling wines and proseccos (430 million euros); fruit, vegetables and greens (385 million euros). Pasta, bread, flour and oil (320 million euros). There will be a platter of fresh and mature Italian cheeses (155 million). Up to the dessert trolley made up of panettone and pandoro first and foremost, as well as the many regional confectionery specialties (400 million euros).

According to Coldiretti, over 10 billion euros are spent this year by Italians on lunches, dinners, hampers and food and wine gifts for the holidays between Christmas and New Year . In December alone, Confartigianato estimates the consumption of food and drink products by Italian families at 15.9 billion euros.

And in the Christmas consumption of 2023, those that focus on typicality, territorial identity, uniqueness and quality of products and services stand out . But for the master artisans of taste the greatest satisfactions come from abroad: the world is greedy for confectionery specialties made in Italy.

In the last year, Confartigianato notes, between panettone, pandoro, chocolate and typical delicacies, exports rose to 980 million euros, with an increase of 9.7% compared to the same period of the previous year.

(Unioneonline/vl)

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