Fruit platter

Wash fruits and arrange them nicely on a decorative platter. Serve after the "piatto di mezzo."

Obviously there were no pineapples in Southern Italy prior to World War II -- well, at least, they weren't available in the countryside. In fact, few fresh fruits were available around Christmas time, so most households went without. In December "Christmas figs" were available fresh, but little else was. As sugar was expensive few households made fruit jam except for grape marmalade which was very popular and perceived as an essential sweet. Grape was also dried but dried grape (raisins) were rarely eaten as a snack. They were used to make sweet breads and cakes. In Molise almonds and other nuts were used as snacks. In any case, fruit platters were rarely served at Christmas time in Southern Italy, but as soon as Southern Italians came to North America, fruit platters became the standard way to end a meal. The fruit platter is often served at the end of the meal -- before the dessert. Families have their antipasti, primo piatto (soup), piatto di mezzo (pasta and a meat dish) and then fruit. Often, after the fruit is eaten most Italian families take a break from eating (The old ones take a nap and the young ones go for a walk) and then about an hour or two later the hostess serves cake or whatever dessert she may have prepared (or bought). In Italy, prior to World War II, fruits were eaten and enjoyed in the fall -- often they were sliced and topped on bread and eaten for lunch. This might sound strange to second and third generation Italians but so it was. In the 1950s first generation Italians found it very strange as well that Americans ate jam with bread. In Italy jam (well wine grape marmalade) was served with cookies but never with bread. But that was years ago. Nowadays North Americans of Italian descent serve platters of exotic fruits from the Near East or Far East or Hawaii and assume that this is as Italian as you can get. What makes it Italian is hard to say, all that is certain is that if you don't serve your guests a big platter of fruits at the end of the meal you are not being Italian. Photo: Mary Melfi.

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