Easter: fish on the table for 58% of families
Easter fish on the table for 58% of families
Almost six out of ten Italians (58%) choose to bring fish to the table this year. This is what emerges from the Coldiretti / Ixè survey on Easter 2023 Italians, which highlights a strong presence of seafood menus starting from Good Friday. An appointment that - underlines Coldiretti - leads many to abstain from the consumption of meat to respect a cultural and religious tradition deeply rooted in the population. A return of religiosity in a dramatic period marked by war and the economic crisis, so much so that there are even 8 million citizens who even decided for the occasion to observe fasting, rediscovering a practice that had faded over time, with one meal during the day.
Among those who eat lean meat at Easter, what is preferred - explains Coldiretti - is above all blue fish, from anchovies to sardines to mackerel sold at more contained prices according to the sobriety criteria required by the occasion, without, however, renouncing the taste and to health due to the high content of unsaturated fats and in particular of the omega three type. In fact, the "law" of abstinence does not prohibit the consumption of fish, eggs, and dairy products, but it bans particularly sought-after or expensive foods and drinks.
Among the fish dishes, every part of Italy - Coldiretti continues - expresses a local tradition linked to simple typical recipes in respect of the day of reflection, such as pasta with sardines in Sicily, traditional fish soups that take on different names according to the regions and which in the northern Adriatic are eaten together with polenta, up to the typical regional recipes such as scottadito anchovies with or without breadcrumbs, or sardines in saor with onion (typical Venetian recipe), cuttlefish with peas, beans, and mussels (recipe from Puglia), clams and chickpeas (recipe from the Marches), fish stew with gurnards and gobies, hard-boiled eggs with tuna or spaghetti with seafood sauce.
To ensure quality - continues Coldiretti - fresh fish must have firm and elastic flesh, red or pinkish and moist gills, and eyes that are not dry or opaque, while the smell must not be strong and unpleasant. Finally, it is better not to choose fish that have already mutilated the head and fins while - explains Coldiretti - for mollusks and mussels, it is essential that the shell is closed. To ensure quality on Italian tables at Easter, many fishermen returned to the sea despite the safety risks.
Choosing Italian fish - concludes Coldiretti - also means helping 12,000 companies and 28,000 workers in the national fleet who are facing a severe crisis due to the explosion in costs, which are forcing Italian fishing boats to sail at a loss or to cut outputs and favoring imports of foreign fish.?