Lentils are the Italian New Year's Eve food traditionally associated with prosperity because their small, round shape resembles coins. They are commonly served around midnight or during the New Year's meal, often with cotechino or zampone sausage.
The symbolism is connected not only with appearance but also with abundance: lentils swell as they cook, suggesting growing wealth during the year ahead. The custom is especially prominent in northern and central Italian festive cuisine.
Regional recipes vary, and not every Italian household follows exactly the same menu. Still, lentils remain one of the clearest food symbols of Italian New Year celebrations. Their association with money parallels other cultures' use of round foods, grapes, or beans as prosperity symbols.