The dish is associated with the custom ofu cumbitu,[4][5] in which the dish is shared among families and neighbours annually onSaint Joseph's Day (19 March),[6] alongside pan-friedcod andzeppole,[7] the dessert typically associated with Saint Joseph in Calabria.[8] The custom may have emerged in the 20th century,[6] or have origins in Calabria's medievalfeudal society.[9][10]U cumbitu notably suspended class structures in Calabria, which was particularly afflicted by poverty and hunger,[7] and was a symbol ofsocial solidarity and fraternity.[4][11]
^abGnisci, Annamaria (19 March 2023)."U Cumbitu: un antico e nobile gesto solidale" [U Cumbitu: An ancient and noble gesture of solidarity].Calabria Magnifica (in Italian). Retrieved9 April 2024.
