Just when I think I have run out of special foods to celebrate All Saints’ / Souls’ Day, I turn up one more variation. This year I learned about Fave dei Morti (literally “Fava Beans of the Dead”) which are central Italian cookies shaped like beans, traditionally eaten on All Saints’ Day / Ognissanti (Nov 1) or All Souls’ Day / Festa dei Morti (Nov 2). I have seen the origin of the name described as referring to the shape of the cookie, serving as representations of food offered to the dead, or symbolizing the longstanding mythical connection between beans and death. Whichever version is true, these bean-free cookies are made with almonds, and are often flavored with rum and cinnamon, a flavor profile similar to Ossi Dei Morti. There are many regional variations, and the cookies may be soft or crunchy, and in the north of Italy, they also may be made with colored dough. You can check out Emiko Davies’ recipe from Food 52 that comes directly from Pellegrino Artusi’s influential 1891 cookbook (pictured above). For other recipe variations, see Katie Parla, Italian Kiwi and The Languages Kitchen.
Eating The World 