Wheat, pomegranate kernels, chocolate chips, grapes, dried figs, walnuts and hazelnuts, and vin cotto: here is her majesty the colva, the typical dessert of the dead that is prepared in Puglia.
If we wanted to trace the origins of colva, we would most likely have to bother the ancient Greeks and Romans, where a colva-like recipe Was prepared to commemorate the dead.
A custom that Christianity later incorporated and reworked, making it its own tradition.
The name "colva" appears to derive from the Latin word "columen," meaning "offering" or "prayer," indicating its connection to rituals of commemoration. As evidence of this, in past centuries, Apulian families prepared colva as a gift for the souls of the departed and distributed it to the poor as a sign of charity.
The colva is a sweet which does not require cooking and is enjoyed by the spoonful. Its ingredients are natural and simple, typical of the Mediterranean diet. These elements are easily found in autumn, and particularly in November.
The cooked grain is the basis of the colva: it is boiled for a long time until tender and then seasoned with grains of pomegranate, representing Symbolically, blood and eternal life. Walnuts and almonds add a crunchy note and a wealth of nutrients, the dried figs give sweetness and a special texture, theraisins and often even grapes is the soft, sugary element, the dark chocolate is a modern addition, often accompanying the traditional recipe to enhance its taste. It is all combined and blended by the cooked wine or from honey.
More than a dessert, colva is a symbol of memory, a way to ideally "feed" the deceased and accompany them in their new afterlife. Each ingredient has a strong symbolic value: wheat represents rebirth and fertility, pomegranate kernels symbolize the immortality of the soul, while figs and walnuts evoke abundance.
La Apulia is the region where the colva for the Day of the Dead. a ritual, where every member of the family contributes to the preparation. The cake is also often offered to neighbors and shared, perpetuating the ancient tradition of sharing and family unity at this time of spiritual reflection.
