Lentils are the traditional Italian New Year's Eve food symbolizing prosperity because of their coin-like shape.
In Italy, lentils are commonly served around New Year's Eve, often alongside cotechino or zampone. Their small, round, coin-like appearance makes them a symbol of money and prosperity. The tradition expresses a wish that wealth will grow during the coming year as the lentils are eaten.
Cotechino is a seasoned pork sausage, while zampone is a similar preparation traditionally stuffed into a pig's trotter. These foods are especially associated with the New Year's meal in parts of Italy, but the prosperity symbolism belongs specifically to the lentils. The combination is therefore common, yet the two foods should not be treated as interchangeable answers.
The custom is one of several European New Year's food traditions that connect shape, abundance, or color with hopes for luck. Lentils are eaten throughout the year in Italy, but their symbolic role becomes particularly prominent at the turn of the year.