“Muffuletta cunzata”: another Sicilian tradition for All Souls day

Do you know what muffuletta cunzata is? It is a type of bread stuffed with some local ingredients (cunzata literally means stuffed) and is traditional of the 2nd of November, All Souls day.

Origins

All Souls day here in Sicily is a very important festivity, because in our tradition is the day we can reconnect with all our dear ones that have passed away.

For this reason majority of people plan trips to the cemetery, which of course is particularly crowded.

Last century, where you had to go there walking or with a carriage it was difficult to come back in time for lunch, so people started to bring with them this type of bread called muffuletta.

It is large and soft like a bap and it was easy to carry and been eaten during the journey.

Ingredients

The traditional filling is of course very simple: normally just oil of olive seasoned with salt, pepper and oregano, sliced tomatoes and if you were doing all right back in the days also some grated local cheese like Sicilian caciocavallo.

Until today this tradition has been preserved, although now we have cars and we can go back and forth in reasonable time, unless there is a long queue to enter the cemetery.

I love how poor people were always trying to find affordable solutions to do things back in the days, I think we should get inspired by their creativity and capacity of problem solving.
Ah ah!

In any case please enjoy this beautiful day, remember and pray for your dear ones, and, if you can, have a muffuletta! 😀