Rome, Aug. 13 (LaPresse) – Picnics and barbecues for 7.5 million Italians on Ferragosto, with record heat not stopping the tradition of outings dedicated to food and conviviality, actually encouraging people to escape cities besieged by the heat. This was revealed by a Coldiretti/Ixe' survey on the summer holiday. Picnic baskets and barbecues are the most popular choice this year for those spending Ferragosto lunch away from home, ahead of restaurants, farmhouses, bars, and festivals. The choice of food will partly follow the food and wine traditions of the different regions, with the addition of the inevitable summer fruit, starting with watermelons and melons, ideal for helping the body combat the high temperatures.Barbecues are also very popular, a deep-rooted passion that sees eight out of ten Italians take part in at least one traditional barbecue during the summer months, either at home, with friends and relatives, or outdoors. Meat is the star of the show, chosen in 63% of cases, while another 23% will see the use of multiple types of food. However, there are also 11% of barbecues consisting entirely of fish and 3% of vegetables only. The record heat of recent days, however, requires maximum caution, adopting a few small precautions to avoid facilitating the risk of fires.
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