Lentils are commonly eaten in Italy on New Year's Eve because their coin-like shape symbolizes prosperity.
Italian New Year's meals often include lentils, especially alongside cotechino or zampone, two traditional pork preparations. As lentils cook, they swell, making them an image of growing wealth and abundance. Their round, flat appearance also invites comparison with coins.
Cotechino is a cooked pork sausage associated particularly with northern Italy, while zampone is a stuffed pig's trotter. The pairing of pork and lentils is therefore both a culinary tradition and a symbolic wish for financial well-being in the coming year.
Regional recipes differ, and not every Italian household follows exactly the same menu. The custom should not be confused with Spain's twelve grapes, which are timed to midnight chimes. Italian New Year's foods also vary by region and family, but lentils are the widely recognized prosperity food connected with Capodanno celebrations.