Growing up with an Argentinean mother and an Italian grandmother, I always had a mix of cultural influences in my meals. One of the most sentimental meals I had was my grandmother’s ravioli de ricotta dish served with a tomato, red pepper, onion, and garlic sauce. Every time my grandmother visited, I knew I could expect a day of preparation with family followed by a spectacular meal. While the food was an important part of this experience, it was the strong familial ties that made these dinners so special. Since this recipe holds such an important place in my heart, I knew it was the perfect choice for this project. Having gone through the process of preparing and cooking the ravioli, alongside researching Italian family structures, I recognized the Italian mealtime tradition is more than just the food itself. This tradition serves as a functional and symbolic representation of the traditional Italian values of the family unit. Throughout this essay, I will utilize this research in conjunction with my own experiences to further expand the understanding of Italian cuisine.

More concretely, after looking at various sources on Italian familial traditions, I found that the “Italian family,” has been a social institution long before Italy was even a country (Luciano et al., 2012). The Italian family, known as “la famiglia” in Italian, puts a strong emphasis on family structure and has been characterized by, “a strong family culture” (Tosi, 2017). To this end, this strong focus on familial unity can be physically displayed during mealtimes, when Italian families gather together to share each other’s company. In this manner, the meal itself is not the only focus, but rather it is the catalyst for familial relationships and engagement. Adults and children alike are thereby able to bond and connect in a routine manner via the medium of the table.

This idea is also evident in my experiences comparing the side of my family from Italy to the side of my family from the U.S. For the American side, while meals are important, there is less of an expectation when it comes to eating together. In contrast, the Italian side of the family prioritizes the concept of the family unit. This was apparent during our weekly Sunday family reunions, where bonding occurred throughout the course of the meal. To this end, we were expected to show up to this meal no matter what. In fact, I have distinct memories in high school of wanting to go out with friends on a long weekend, only to be scolded by the adult members of my family. While it may sound religious in nature, this tradition, which has been passed down through generations, allowed me to always have familial support and to develop deeper relationships with my family. My grandmother would call these reunions a “convivio,” which, after looking online, I discovered to be a word/tradition in Italian that means “social reunion.” Given such importance was placed on this mealtime, it is evident the emphasis was not only the food, but also the family.

Beyond the familial function of food, food is also enormously symbolic in nature during Italian mealtimes. Particularly noteworthy is the work done by Elinor Ochs, and Merav Shohet on Italian mealtimes. Specifically, they found that Italian parents “emphasized food as pleasure,” and used their children’s food preferences as a reflection of their personalities. To this end, parents did not expect their children to finish all the components of the meal, but rather understood that, much like adults, children have distinct preferences (Ochs & Merav, 2006). Although this may seem somewhat trivial, compared to U.S. traditions of using dessert as an incentive for eating dinner, the Italian mealtime focuses on the experience and pleasure of the meal shared together. As seen with the importance placed on family, by using the experience of the family meal as the incentive itself, there is less of an emphasis on the food.

In addition to the connection between the immediate family and the meal, Italian mealtimes also feature a symbolic component in the form of ancestral tradition. As noted in Maurice Bloch’s, “Almost Eating the Ancestors,” the celebration of a meal is a form of lineage whereby descendants may celebrate the continuity of their family by engaging in traditional food practices (Bloch, 1985). In this sense by serving traditional meals and sharing the experience of a family gathering, Italian mealtimes serve to connect Italians beyond their immediate family. Respectively, Ochs and Merav mention that food items, “bring family members no longer alive into family members’ consciousness (Ochs & Merav, 2006). In my case this is evident as my grandmother’s ravioli recipe was passed down from her grandmother; therefore in eating this meal, I can connect with both my immediate family and my ancestors.

After completing this assignment and reflecting on the preparation, cooking, and consumption of the food a few things stood out. To begin with, I found the entire experience to be both new and nostalgic. What is particularly interesting is that while I have had this dish more times than I can count, the process of preparing and cooking the recipe was novel to me. This experience thereby allowed me to put myself in the shoes of my grandmother and realize how much I appreciate the time and love she would put into the meal. Additionally, because of the nature of this project, I discovered that I actually enjoy cooking meals from scratch. Although it is timely, I want to start integrating this into my social life and eventually invite friends over to my apartment to cook different recipes. In terms of my thesis statement, it is evident from my analysis of different sources and my personal experiences that Italian cuisine and the Italian family unit are heavily intertwined. While the food may serve as the centerpiece, it is by no means the emphasis of Italian mealtimes.