 | |
| Alternative names | Copeta |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Calabria |
Cupeta or copeta (originating from Arabic qubbayt, literally meaning 'preserved sweet') is a dessert made from honey, dissolved sugar and diced almonds.
Cupeta is usually consumed during the Christmas period in the Calabria, Campania, Apulia and Sicily regions of Italy, as well as in Ponente Ligure, where on the other hand it is prepared all-year-long. [1]
Several sources (including official Italian ministerial ones) [2] [3] state that the name comes from the Latin word cupedia; however, this is an incorrect etymological attribution made by Matteo Camera in 1838. [4] The similar Latin terms cupedia and copadia respectively mean 'sweat treats' and 'meat pieces'. [4]
Some sources hold the view that the name cupeta, on the other hand, comes from the Arabic word qubbayt, literally meaning 'sweet preserve', [5] and was documented for the first time in a document from Palermo of 1287, where a cubaydario cited (a producer of cubaita, a dessert made of apples, almonds, toasted chickpeas and sesami seeds). [6] [7]
The name is then mentioned by Giambattista Basile (Naples, 600s) twice; in the Lo cunto de li cunti overo lo trattamento de peccerille and in the Le cinco figlie, as well as by Giulio Cesare Cortese in the Micco Passaro nnammorato. [4]
The word cupeta is of Latin [8] or Arabic origins. [9] The first explicit record of its existence in Italy dates back to 1287. [6] [7]
The dessert was part of the wedding feast of Bona Sforza and Sigismund I the Old in 1517. [10]
Cupeta is made from a liquified mixture of almonds, honey and sugar; which is then either left to solidify or consumed in a semi-liquid form. The specific recipe, which may include additional ingredients, varies from region to region and may present differences depending family traditions.
The preparation method is similar to the one used for giurgiulena , which however differs in the addition of sesame seeds. [11]
Cupeta was awarded the recognition of being a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale calabrese, [12] campano and pugliese ('traditional agri-food product from Calabria, Campania and Apulia').
In Campania, copeta [13] is produced in the provinces of Avellino, Benevento and Salerno and is considered a white, compact, torrone flavoured with hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios.
In the province of Rieti, Lazio, and in the Abruzzo region, copeta is prepared with honey and diced walnuts, and is usually soft and in the shape of a square rather than being crunchy and rectangular; it is usually served on Laurus nobilis leaves, used as a container and preserver. [14] [15]
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert made of ladyfinger pastries dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and mascarpone, and flavoured with cocoa powder. The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of cakes and other desserts. Its origin is disputed between the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The name comes from the Italian tirami su.
Abruzzo, historically known as Abruzzi, is a region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four provinces: L'Aquila, Teramo, Pescara, and Chieti. Its western border lies 80 km (50 mi) east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and north-west, Molise to the south and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Geographically, Abruzzo is divided into a mountainous area in the west, which includes the highest massifs of the Apennines, such as the Gran Sasso d'Italia and the Maiella, and a coastal area in the east with beaches on the Adriatic Sea.
Nougat is a family of confections made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts, whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit. The consistency of nougat is chewy, and it is used in a variety of candy bars and chocolates. The word nougat comes from Occitan nogat, which means 'nutted' or 'nutty'.
Turrón, torró or torrone is a Mediterranean nougat confection, typically made of honey, sugar, and egg white, with toasted almonds or other nuts, and usually shaped either into a rectangular tablet or a round cake. Turrón is usually eaten as a dessert food around Christmas in Spain and Italy.
Dolcetto is a black Italian wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s sugar levels: it is possible that it derives from the name of the hills where the vine is cultivated. In any case the wines produced are nearly always dry. They can be tannic and fruity with moderate, or decidedly low, levels of acidity and are typically meant to be consumed within a few years after release.
Avezzano is a city in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila, Italy. It is the second most populous municipality in the province and the sixth in the region. It is the main commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the Marsica area, with important high-tech industries and the Fucino Space Centre.
The cuisine of Sardinia is the traditional cuisine of the island of Sardinia, and the expression of its culinary art. It is characterised by its own variety and by the fact of having been enriched through a number of interactions with the other Mediterranean cultures while retaining its own identity. Sardinia's food culture is strictly divided into food from the land and food from the sea, reflecting the island's historical vicissitudes and especially its geographic landscapes, spacing from the coastline to the ragged mountains of the interior. The Sardinian cuisine is considered part of the Mediterranean diet, a nutritional model that was proclaimed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
Ciambella is an Italian ring-shaped cake with regional varieties in ingredients and preparation. As an example, a basic version of the cake could be prepared using flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla flavoring. Honey is sometimes added as a sweetener. To create the light texture the sugar and eggs are whisked together, and oil and milk are added while whisking continuously until the mixture is frothy. Then sifted baking powder and flour are added to the dry ingredients and the cake is baked in a ring shaped pan.
Lombard cuisine is the style of cooking in the Northern Italian region of Lombardy. The historical events of its provinces and of the diversity of its territories resulted in a varied culinary tradition. First courses in Lombard cuisine range from risottos to soups and stuffed pasta, and a large choice of second-course meat or fish dishes, due to the many lakes and rivers of Lombardy.
The Valdarnese, also referred to as Valdarnese Bianca, Valdarno Bianca or Pollo del Valdarno, is a breed of large white chicken from the upper Valdarno, the valley of the Arno river, in Tuscany, central Italy. It became virtually extinct in the 20th century, but the population is recovering. It is a different breed from the Valdarno chicken, which originates in the lower part of the Valdarno, and is black.
Spongarda is a local cake originating in the comune (municipality) of Crema. The Lombardy region includes it as spongarda of Crema in the list of traditional food products.
Neccio, also called niccio, ciaccio or cian, is a galette based on chestnut flour, typical of some mountain zones of Tuscany and Emilia, in Italy, and of the island of Corsica, in France.
Christmas in Italy begins on 8 December, with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the day on which traditionally the Christmas tree is mounted and ends on 6 January, of the following year with the Epiphany, and in some areas female puppets are burned on a pyre, to symbolize, along with the end of the Christmas period, the death of the old year and the beginning of a new one. 26 December, is also a public holiday in Italy. The Italian term Natale derives from the Latin natalis, which literally means 'birth', and the greetings in Italian are buon Natale and felice Natale.
Ligurian cuisine consists of dishes from the culinary tradition of Liguria, a region of northwestern Italy, which makes use of ingredients linked both to local production, and to imports from areas with which, over the centuries, the Ligurians have had frequent trade.
The cuisine of Basilicata, or Lucanian cuisine, is the cuisine of the Basilicata region of Italy. It is mainly based on the use of pork and sheep meat, legumes, cereals and vegetables, with the addition of aromas such as hot peppers, powdered raw peppers and horseradish. The local gastronomy is, for historical-cultural reasons, typically peasant, based on simple recipes and on the culture of reuse, in particular of meat and bread.
Mantuan cuisine is the set of traditional dishes of the Italian province of Mantua, some of which date back to the time of the Gonzaga.
Bisciola is an Italian sweet leavened bread originating in the Valtellina Valley of Lombardy, Italy. It is typically prepared for Christmas, during which time it is an essential component of Christmas festivities.
The guasteddra dolce nissena or guastedda is a typical dessert of the city of Caltanissetta tradition. The word guastedda being a cacuminal or retroflex phoneme is written guastedda and pronounced guasteddra, it is represented with the symbol [ɖ] in the international phonetic alphabet (IPA); this phoneme is not present in the Italian language.
