Christmas cuisine in Massa Lubrense

by Rosario Sisto

Christmas has always been a holiday characterized by the consumption of numerous types of meals, according to the tradition of Christmas cuisine of each territory.

It doesn’t matter what place we’re talking about: it is a matter of fact that the culinary Christmas traditions of Campania are always delightful and those of Massa Lubrense are no exception.

Whether it is main dishes, sweets or even fruits, here in Massa Lubrense you’ll find everything you need to spend a deliciously happy Christmas. If you wish to get a general preview of some of the delicacies that you will find here, here are some of our best dishes.

The main dishes of our Christmas cuisine

Every Neapolitan citizen knows the importance of the main dishes during Christmas meals. For anyone who may not know, tradition dictates that on Christmas Eve one should mainly eat seafood-based first dishes, especially during dinner.

Among these dishes the most famous and appreciated is Spaghetti with clams, served either with a bit of tomato sauce or with none at all.

On the other hand on Christmas Day itself it is customary to eat much simpler meals, such as baked pasta.

You will be able to taste these delicacies and many more at the numerous restaurants scattered throughout the territory of Massa Lubrense.

Appetizers, second dishes and Christmas side dishes

Naturally there are many other types of dishes typically eaten during the Christmas period, especially on Christmas Eve. Now we point out some that we really wish you to try here in Massa Lubrense.

Appetizers:

• Mixed cured meat: Various arrays of different kinds of cured meat, from salami to ham to many others.
• Escarole pizza: A type of pie typical of neapolitan tradition, stuffed with escaroles, black olives, capers and anchovies.

Second dishes:

• Fried mixed fishfood: Another great traditional dish typical of neapolitan cuisine in general, which includes fried shrimp, squid, anchovies and even cod served all at once.
• Cod fritters: Small balls of salted fried pasta stuffed with salted cod.

Side dishes:

• Insalata di rinforzo: A type of traditional neapolitan salad made with cauliflower, peppers, green olives, chives, pickles and anchovies.
• Christmas broccoli: A particular type of broccoli typically served on Christmas Eve seasoned with oil, garlic, hot peppers and lemon juice.

In order to feel completely sated and satisfied we strongly advise you to follow up the aforementioned first dishes with these delicacies!

Delicious sweets for a sweet Christmas

No Christmas meal would be truly complete without a wide array of sweets to savour. In Massa Lubrense you will find many unique ones of the Neapolitan tradition.

Among them, some that we particularily recommend are:

• Struffoli: Small balls of sweet baked pasta doused in honey
• Roccocò: Donut-like sweets whose dough contains both almonds and orange peels
• Mostaccioli: A type of rhombus-shaped cookies covered in chocolate which contain a variety of different spices

This is only a small preview of the types of sweets that you’ll be able to taste in Massa Lubrense by visiting its numerous local pastry shops.

A Christmas specialty of Massa Lubrense

Here in Massa Lubrense you will find a variety of apples unique to this territory: the apples of Sant’Agata, one of our local products.

The apples of Sant’Agata are a type of yellow apples cultivated exclusively in the territory of Sorrento, more specifically in Sant’Agata sui due golfi, one of the hamlets of Massa Lubrense.

Up until the 1800’s this type of apples was by far the most cultivated agricultural product by the local farmers, not to mention their main source of income. However, following various issues that had arisen throughout the 1800’s regarding their farming, the production rate of these apples is nowadays far inferior to what it used to be. But they nevertheless continue to be one of the most iconic products of Massa Lubrense.

They are commonly used in the production of various kinds of marmalades, but during the Christmas period it is customary to bake them in the oven.

An unforgettably delicious Christmas

As you may have noticed by now, here in Massa Lubrense traditional Christmas cuisine has a truly wide array of amazing foods with which you will be able to have a truly delicious Christmas.

Here we were able to show you only a small part of what you could taste in our restaurants, pastry shops and other similar places. If you wish to see how many more delicacies Massa Lubrense has to offer, then we can only encourage you to come here yourselves. In this case, we will welcome you with open arms and – above all – with ready dishes!