Cucina Campana – Not just pizza, babà and pastiera!

Campania is a region rich in treasures of all kinds . Archaeological finds, the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrento Peninsula, the Amalfi Coast with its colorful houses, Vesuvius, the Royal Palace of Caserta and an endless list of treasures. But Campania offers another good reason to visit: good food. Being located in a strategic position, it boasts one of the oldest culinary traditions in the world.

• Pizza:

declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco . It is certainly one of the symbols of Campania and Italian cuisine in the world. It is characterized by a soft and swollen edge, called “cornice”, and a thin and elastic dough.

• Caprese:

fresh, summery dish , with captivating colors. Caprese is nothing more than a cut of mozzarella served with tomatoes and seasoned with olive oil, salt and oregano. A must to taste on the Amalfi coast that makes simplicity its winning weapon.

• Spaghetti with anchovy sauce:

spaghetti with anchovy sauce are a delicacy of Cetara. Cetara is a small fishing village on the Amalfi Coast. Here the anchovy sauce is obtained by squeezing salted anchovies . What is obtained is an oil with shades of amber, with a strong and decisive flavor.

• Peppered mussels:

another great classic . Once the mussels have been opened in a saucepan, they are flavored with parsley, pepper and oil. The “death” of the mussel pepper is to taste it with bread bruschetta with which to dip the sauce. Other specialties not to be missed are:

• Babà :

long leavening and skilful and delicate processing. The babà is the very re-enactment of Naples and of Campania sweets . Served with a splash of Rum or, for the most demanding palates, with cream, strawberries or chocolate. Baba is known to be addictive.

• Pastiera:

according to an ancient legend, the first to make this cake was the mermaid Partenope herself, who was also responsible for the birth of Naples. To thank her for having chosen the Gulf as her home and for her melodious voice, the inhabitants commissioned seven of the most beautiful girls of the villages to give her seven gifts of nature , which Partenope herself mixed together giving life to the pastiera. It consisted of flour, ricotta, eggs, soft wheat, orange blossom water, spices and sugar.

• Sfogliatella :

shortcrust or curly? A peculiarity of this delicacy of the Campania pastry is its double consistency . It can in fact be found in a version made of crunchy shell-shaped puff pastry or roundish, based on shortcrust pastry. (at this link you will find more information on the wonders of the region)

• Eggplant parmigiana:

the doc Neapolitans define it as “the absolute dish”. It is a real monument of Neapolitan cuisine. Well-seasoned tomato sauce, breaded and fried aubergines, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, are the ingredients of this dish that goes well with every season and every occasion, for its versatility and delicacy. (click here to discover other Campania beauties) If you want to discover these culinary delights and other wonders of the region, click here for more details.