U cumbitu

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U cumbitu 'i San Giuseppi (lit.'Saint Joseph's banquet'), also known as u mmitu 'e San Giuseppe, [1] [2] or u banquettu around Catanzaro, [3] is a custom in the Calabria region, southern Italy, in which lagane e ceci , [4] [5] a pasta dish containing chickpeas, [6] [7] is shared among families and neighbours on Saint Joseph's Day (19 March). [6]

Contents

History

Zeppole are a dessert associated with Saint Joseph's Day across southern Italy. Zeppole di San Giuseppe.jpg
Zeppole are a dessert associated with Saint Joseph's Day across southern Italy.

U cumbitu may have emerged in the 20th century, [6] or have origins in Calabria's medieval feudal society. [2] [7] On Saint Joseph's Day, rich families invited poorer people from their neighbourhood for a feast at their house. [3] Some of the guests would dress as the Holy Family, [3] [4] sometimes extended to include Joachim and Anne, Mary's parents. [3] The hostess would kiss guests' hands in an act of reverence. [8] Lagane e ceci was served as the first dish, [6] followed by pan-fried cod and zeppole, [3] the dessert typically associated with Saint Joseph in Calabria. [9] The meal would take place in silence. [8] After the meal, guests would be given leftovers to take home to their relatives. [3] [8]

Alternatively, beggars would walk the streets with a pan in their hands, clinking their spoons against the pan to warn almsgivers that they were arriving. [6] Reaching the house of someone reasonably well-off, they would hide their faces and receive a vuccata 'i San Giuseppi (transl.Saint Joseph's morsel), [3] consisting of the pasta, cod, [3] [4] and sometimes dried figs. [3] Around Crotone, it was also common to donate loaves of bread to passers-by. [10]

U cumbitu notably suspended class structures in Calabria, which was particularly afflicted by poverty and hunger, [3] and was a symbol of social solidarity and fraternity. [4] [10]

Contemporary celebrations

Today,[ when? ] parishes and neighbourhoods in Calabria organise u cumbitu get-togethers, in which families exchange food that is blessed by the parish priest. [1] [6] Elsewhere, families bring the dish to their neighbours, friends, and relatives. The custom is popular among Calabrian emigrant communities, [6] such as in Cinisello Balsamo, Lombardy, [6] [11] where a Calabrian cultural association has organised an annual u cumbitu since the 2010s. [6] While the pasta was traditionally cooked in terracotta pignatta pots by a fireplace, [8] or prepared in pots in village alleys and squares, [2] [9] from which anyone could help themselves to a portion, [2] [10] the pasta is now typically cooked on gas stoves. [8]

Preparation

A plate of lagane e ceci
typical of Cosenza Lagane e ciciari ara cusentina.jpg
A plate of lagane e ceci typical of Cosenza

Before u cumbitu, figs, zucchini, and peppers are sun-dried. Closer to Saint Joseph's Day, bread is prepared in a wood-fired oven, and chicory and fennel are harvested, while scarola and cabbages are picked. [8] Cod and dried chickpeas are soaked together overnight before the feast. [8] [7]

The pasta traditionally used for the meal is lagane e ceci. [4] [5] On the day of the meal, [7] the pasta is rolled out, dried, [2] then rolled up on itself and cut into strips. [2] [7] The pasta is cooked for two to three minutes, then mixed with the chickpeas. [7] The meal is served with bread and wine. [8] Other dishes associated with u cumbitu include bean, lentil, chickpea, or Indian pea soup. [8]

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References

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