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Italy

In Romanesco dialect, the offspring of the sheep who is still suckling or recently weaned is called abbacchio, while the offspring of the sheep almost a year old who has already been shorn twice is called agnello (lit. ' lamb '). This distinction exists only in the Romanesco dialect. Abbacchio is consumed throughout central Italy as an Easter and Christmas dish. It is a product protected by the European Union with the PGI mark.

Throughout central Italy, including Sardinia, pastoralism was the main source of meat. Since ancient times, abbacchio has been one of the staple foods of the Lazio region, especially for rural communities, whose consumption at the table was considerable. The tradition of consuming abbacchio spread in ancient times where mainly adult sheep were slaughtered. The slaughter of abbacchio was forbidden except during the Easter and Christmas periods, and until June. Over the centuries, given the importance of the food, around 100 recipes for preparing lamb have been developed in Lazio. Given the importance of abbacchio in social life, historical events dedicated to abbacchio are still organized in the Lazio region today, i.e. sagre, country festivals and popular events. In ancient times, sheep was eaten during work in the countryside, while abbacchio was consumed only during the Easter holidays.