During the first two days of November, for All Saints' and All Souls' Day, people in various Italian regions make many typical dishes with recipes rooted in local culinary tradition. Let’s discover some of these specialities.

Pane dei morti. A traditional dessert from Lombardy, pane dei morti (or bread of the dead) is made with a dough from crumbled dry biscuits, cocoa powder and nuts. Many variations have spread throughout northern Italy over the years, all featuring the original oval shape.

Bacilli e balletti. According to a curious Ligurian tradition, on the eve of 2 November, children would go from house to house to get “bacilli” and “balletti”, or dried beans and boiled chestnuts made for them.

Ossa dei morti. These Sicilian biscuits, now commonly found all over southern Italy, have a peculiar shape that looks like bones, hence the name, translating to bones of the dead. Despite the simple ingredients (flour, sugar and cloves are the main ones), they take a long time to make: just think that the dough must rest for about three days.

Fave dei morti. Despite their name meaning beans of the dead, these soft Umbrian biscuits do not contain beans, but are instead made from a dough with almonds and sugar. The reference to beans comes from ancient Roman tradition, according to which the souls of the dead lay in the pods.

Chickpea soup. On 1 and 2 November in northern Italy, and particularly in Piedmont, many dishes are made from chickpeas. According to ancient tradition, this highly nutritious food was perfect for reviving the souls of the dead after the long walk to reach the world of the living. Among the specialities made from chickpeas, check out this creamy chickpea soup with potatoes and carrots.

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