Have you ever experienced Christmas in Italy? It’s not as popular with tourists as some of the other European countries like England, Germany and Austria, but it is just as special in its own unique way. There are tons of gorgeous Christmas markets to explore with a glass of vin brulee in hand, huge Christmas trees in the city centres, beautiful light displays and nativity scenes in all the Churches. Perhaps my favourite part of Christmas in Italy though is the food. It’s rich and warming which is perfect for the cooling temperatures. Read on to find out a very special food from my adopted home region of Piedmont at Christmas time.
5 Best Christmas Foods in Italy
Here are some delicious foods you should seek out when celebrating Christmas in Italy!
- Tortellini or agnolotti in brodo: Traditionally served as a primi (first course)
- Insalata russa (Russian salad): Here’s my Piemontese recipe!
- Bollito: The meat used to make the delicious brodo is served as a second course
- Panforte
- Panettone or pandoro
Christmas in Piedmont: ‘La Nuvola’ – The White Cloud
In Torino, we love eating a very special type of pandoro. Pandoro is originally from Verona and now popular throughout all of Italy. It’s a sweet yeasted cake or bread, almost like a brioche and without any of the dried fruits you find in the other typical Christmas cake called panettone.
Our Torinese pandoro is extra special though and known as La Nuvola in Italian, or ‘the cloud’ in English. It’s made by a historic pasticceria in the city centre called Il Ghigo which opened in 1870 and was a dairy up until the 1950s. There they make the Nuvola di Ghigo. It is just like a traditional pandoro but even better. The soft golden inside is sweet and airy and the outside is covered with a butter cream before being dusted in so much icing sugar that the pandoro literally resembles a ‘little cloud’. It is so delicious and literally melts right in your mouth. At 42 euro/kg it’s not cheap but a very special and indulgent treat during the Christmas period. On Christmas Eve, people queue up in long lines to get La Nuvola in time for Christmas celebrations.
I love this treat because it is uniquely Torinese and has become a symbol of Christmas in Italy for me. Dressed up in all that icing sugar it also looks a bit like a snowball and sets the scene for a white Christmas perfectly.
What are your favourite foods at Christmas time? Have you been to Italy at this time of the year? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Buon natale x