We have entered those who are called in central and northern Italy the days of the blackbird. On 29, 30 and 31 January, identified by the popular tradition as the coldest of the year. When often, in Sicily, almond trees are already in bloom. A tradition, that of the days of the blackbird, which also gave life to numerous dishes at the table. As there are many legends related to this time of year. Starting with those related to the name. According to the best known, once the battlements were all white, and they became black only after a mother with her chicks took refuge in the cold in a chimney. From that day all the blackbirds became black. Second Sebastiano Pauli (1740), the "Merla" was actually a big one Cannon, which could be transported beyond the frozen Po only during the coldest days of the year.
Giubiana
In Piedmont and in Lombardy, especially in Brianza, in Varesotto and in the foothills, the gastronomic traditions linked to the days of the merlas are linked to the burning of the Giubiana. That is the puppet of a witch burned in the square, usually the last Thursday of January, to symbolize the progressive end of the rigors of winter and the slow warm up – after, precisely, the days of the blackbird – the days. According to legend, the Giubiana was a witch with long legs and red stockings, who lived in the woods moving from tree to tree. It was the terror of all the children. One day, on the last Thursday of January, a mother prepared a risotto pot with a luganega. The perfume attracted Giubiana, who began to eat it greedily. He did not notice that the day was coming: the sun kills the witches, and so the Giubiana died. So the first dish typical of the days of the blackbird is him, the risotto with the luganega, with or without saffron: a very simple dish, based on Arborio rice, onion, white wine, butter, vegetable broth, grana and the typical Lombard sausage, the luganega in fact.
Lodi and Cremona
TO Lodi the typical dish of the days of the blackbird is instead the polenta with ciccioli, made from the processing of pork fat with the addition of bay leaf, pepper, cloves and other spices, sautéed in lard and then poured into polenta. In Santo Stefano Lodigiano and in the towns of the cremasca dell'Adda side the days of the blackbird are "celebrated" instead with polenta and cod, fried or stewed. Codfish protagonist, therefore. While, among the desserts, traditionally linked to the days of the blackbird is also the sbrisolona Mantovana.
Piedmont and Lombardy
In Lombardy the days of the blackbird are, in general, a good opportunity to savor a little cassoeula, traditionally linked to the party of Sant'Antonio Abate (17 January), the date marking the end of the period of slaughter of pigs. The recipe, prepared with cabbage, pork (legs, musetto, ribs, sausages and rind) and a very long cooking in casserole (hence the name) is for this reason the main dish of Lombard winter gastronomy. In the same way, in Piedmont the days of the blackbird are perfect for the bagna cauda, even if the legend refers the birth of this dish to the autumn months, immediately after the harvest.
In Modena and in the Marche
In Modenese it is said that once, in the last days of February, the rezdòre (the housewives of Emilia) were forced to remain closed in the house for the cold, preparing only polenta, seasoned with a thick and fragrant sauce based on stewed birds. All (blackbirds included?) Stupefied by the cold and then easily caught in the backyard with small traps called "luvatt". But also in the Marche they have clear ideas: "If you gljorni de la merla fly, bread, pulenta, porcu and focu at will," says a dialectal proverb from the Marche. Then, polenta, bread and pork ribs cooked on the fire at will, maybe standosene in front of the fireplace when it's snowing outside.
Chickpeas in zemino, torcolo and beans to the flask
In Liguria, the typical dish of late January consists of chickpeas in zimino, which are prepared by preparing a mixture of carrots, celery, garlic, onion and dried porcini and then adding chard and chickpeas previously boiled. In Tuscany the days of the blackbird are perfect for the al fiasco beans or all'uccelletto. While in Umbria the typical dish is the Torcolo Di San Costanzo, a sort of very simple donut prepared on the occasion of the feast of the city's patron, on 29 January.
