Business · Companies · 15 hrs ago
Italy’s “Cucina povera” is popular again, but no longer always cheap
“Cucina povera,” or “poor cuisine,” refers to Italian dishes developed to feed families with limited money and ingredients.
Examples include bread soup, pasta with beans and dishes made with leftovers.
The tradition is being revisited in Italy as households rethink what they buy amid rising prices.
Many people are choosing local foods such as beans, lentils and chickpeas, and eating less meat.
A study published by a national cooperative association found that 59 percent of Italians ate less meat in 2024 than in 2022.
Some said they did so for health or environmental reasons.
But ingredients that were once inexpensive can now cost more, so this food is not necessarily a cheap option.
The renewed interest also raises questions about who can afford it as prices continue to pressure household budgets.
Cucina povera, Italy’s traditional cooking with simple ingredients and leftovers, is gaining attention again.
Rising prices are leading many Italians to reconsider their shopping and choose more local foods.
The cuisine is no longer always cheap, as many of its ingredients have become more expensive.
In 2024, more than 5.7 million people in Italy were below the poverty line, according to national statistics agency Istat.
A late-2025 study found that 59 percent of Italians ate less meat in 2024 than in 2022.
- Who
- Italians are returning to Cucina povera, a tradition of cooking with simple ingredients.
- What
- The cuisine is popular again, but its ingredients are not always inexpensive.
- When
- The article was published on October 11, 2026. It describes recent trends and figures from 2024 and 2025.
- Where
- Italy.
- Why
- Rising prices are putting pressure on household budgets, while many people are also choosing local foods and eating less meat for health or sustainability.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Cucina povera will once again save us
We owe the existence of this cuisine above all to the intelligence of women
Families used ingenuity and few ingredients to prepare meals amid hardship.
Italians opened up to other culinary traditions, including sushi and vegan restaurants.
59 percent of Italians ate less meat than in 2022, according to a study published by Ancc Coop.
Ancc Coop published its study on Italians’ meat consumption.
n-tv published an article about the renewed interest in Cucina povera and its rising costs.
- People below poverty line
- More than 5.7 million in Italy in 2024
- Inflation
- 4.5 percent
- Eating less meat
- 59 percent of Italians in 2024 compared with 2022
- Health as a reason for eating less meat
- 47 percent
- Sustainability as a reason for eating less meat
- 27 percent
Sources
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