One of the things that had always amazed me since I became an immigrant, coming from a tropical country, is how food in Italy is seasonal. The items you find in winter, you will not find in summer.
This is different in Brazil because we do not have the seasons so “marked” as we have here. Winter will have a few cold days, but rarely below 10 ºC and a lot of heat waves intertwined in the few cold days. Due to climate and a very different agriculture control that allows the use of not so healthy additives (but that is another argument), we can eat almost anything all year round and don’t have this seasonal culture for food.
Last week (we are in October) when I arrived at the cashier in the supermarket with a Pandoro (a Christmas treat in Italy) the cashier almost scolded me (jokingly) for buying it. And other customers that were around joined her, amazed that it was even available now for me to buy:
Cashier: What? Pandoro? Are you going to eat this now? It is not even December!
Random lady: Pandoro? Why is the supermarket selling Pandora so soon? My God, this is not right!
Another random lady: It is so good, but you cannot eat it now!
I tried to justify that I would had visitors at home and just needed something to offer with tea and it seemed a good option to me, but they were not having it. I felt like an outlaw, but we actually had a good laugh. Mine was the first Pandoro that store sold this year. (by the commotion it will be the only one until December)
So, what about you? Are you already enjoying the Christmas Treats?