Characteristic products
Neapolitan cuisine employs a host of vegetables, including of course the tomato, of which there are several hundred varieties in the country, such as the san marzano (long, used for preserves) or the pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio PDO, a cherry tomato variety grown around Mount Vesuvius. Eggplants, artichokes, mushrooms, pumpkins, zucchinis, peppers, radishes and various leafy vegetables (broccoli, lettuce, purslane, broccoletti) complete the picture. The variety of landscapes allows for the cultivation of a wide range of fruits, from hazelnuts from Irpinia to IGP lemons from Costa Amalfi and Sorrento.
Often dubbed mangiafoglia or herbivores by their neighbors to the north, Neapolitans are admittedly meat-eaters. Pork, beef, lamb and poultry are the main meat products, not forgetting offal. Sausages - like cervellatine - are made from a fairly coarse minced meat. Cured meats are also less varied, but include salame napoletano (salami) and capicollo (Neapolitan coppa), while prosciutto crudo (cured ham), cotto (cooked ham), mortadella, spicy salami, etc. are also readily available.
This region, which is largely open to the sea, offers a wide range of products: sea bream, anchovies, sardines, red mullet, scorpion fish, not forgetting fravagli (tiny fry, fried and served with lemon). Seafood includes cuttlefish, octopus and squid, as well as prawns and langoustines. Last but not least, you'll find plenty of shellfish: clams, mussels, prawns, tellins, cockles, oysters, periwinkles and more.
If we had to name just one cheese in the region, it would of course be mozzarella. The emblem of Campania, mozzarella di bufala Campana has had a PDO since 1996, with Salerno and Caserta being the most famous. This cheese is traditionally made from buffalo milk, while mozzarella made from cow's milk is known as fior di latte. Other spun cheeses include scamorza and provola, which are eaten either fresh or smoked(affumicata). While ricotta is found throughout southern Italy, ricotta di fuscella - made from cow's milk - is unique to Campania.
Pizza and pasta !
In Naples, you'll find an incredible number of pizze (not "pizzas"), which generally contain just a few ingredients, allowing you to get a better feel for the flavor, such as the simplistic marinara topped only with tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil. The margherita was invented in honor of Queen Margaret of Savoy, and echoes the colors of the Italian flag: tomato, mozzarella, basil. Others include napoletana (anchovies, capers, tomatoes, mozzarella), quattro formaggi (gorgonzola, mozzarella, fontina and parmeggiano, with or without tomato) or quattro stagioni/four seasons (tomato, mushrooms, artichokes, olives, mozzarella, ham). But the diversity of toppings seems limitless, with arugula(rucola), mussels(cozze), sausage(salsiccia), porcini mushrooms(porcini), etc., all appearing on the pizze. And let's not forget calzone in the form of turnovers, as well as pizza dough-based snacks such as panino napoletano, a rolled bread filled with diced cheese and salami, or pizza fritta, a turnover stuffed with ham, ricotta, tomato or salami and deep-fried.
In Italy, pasta is considered astarter (primo piatto). The term maccheroni - ambiguous - refers to all types of pasta in southern Italy, including what we call macaroni in France. In Naples, however, you'll also find pacheri (large tubes), conchiglioni (shell-shaped), tortiglioni (grooved tubes), and so on. There are a multitude of recipes to choose from: spaghetti alla puttanesca (tomato, olives, capers), spaghetti/linguine alle vongole (clams, garlic and parsley), gnocchi alla sorrentina (meaty tomato sauce with melting mozzarella), pasta e patate (short pasta with potato and provola sauce), pasta e fagioli (pasta with white bean sauce) and cannelloni (stuffed with meat, cheese and vegetables and baked au gratin). Among the sauces is ragù alla napoletana, quite similar to ragù alla bolognese, but with more tomato and less meat, and used to garnish lasagne. In Naples, it's topped with ricotta rather than bechamel sauce, as in Bologna. Despite its name, sugo alla genovese (sauce with shredded beef and pickled onions) does not originate from Genoa.
The classics of Neapolitan cuisine
In Italy, we start a meal with antipasti. These sometimes consist of a simple plate of cold meats, a variety of cheeses and vegetables in olive oil, with a few breadsticks. Alternatively, try alici alla scapece (fried anchovies cooked in a garlic, pepper, oregano and parsley vinaigrette), polipetti affogati (small octopuses in tomato sauce), frittatine di pasta (breaded pasta croquettes with ham and cheese) and mozzarella in carrozza (breaded mozzarella sandwich).
Soups(minestroni) are also popular, such as minestra maritata (cabbage, carrot, cold cuts, pork, etc.), zuppa di cozze (mussel soup with tomato and garlic) and zuppa di pesce (fish soup with seafood and tomato). Seafood lovers should try fritto misto, a deep-fried dish of small fish and seafood (squid, shrimp, etc.) orimpepata di cozze, mussels in a chili-parsley broth, served with bread.
Meat dishes include saltimbocca alla sorrentina (thin veal cutlets with tomato, cured ham and mozzarella au gratin), scaloppine alla napoletana (breaded veal cutlet with garlic, capers and tomato), polpettone (meatloaf with bacon and hard-boiled egg filling) and spezzatino (veal and vegetable stew with tomato and white wine). Typical of the island of Ischia, coniglio all'ischitana consists of pieces of rabbit sautéed and cooked with tomatoes, white wine and herbs.
In Campania, vegetable recipes are legion, such as zucchini alla scapece (fried zucchini with vinegar, garlic and mint), parmigiana di melanzane or eggplant parmesan (slices of eggplant with tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan au gratin). Fagioli in umido is a spicy white bean stew, while gattò di patate is a mashed potato gratin with salami and cheese. The classic peperoni ripieni (peppers) and zucchini ripiene (zucchini) are stuffed with minced meat. While grilled porcini mushrooms(funghi porcini arrosto) are served in autumn,insalata caprese (tomato-mozzarella-basil), prepared with authentic ingredients, is a summer favorite.
Dolci e caffé
The best-known dessert is probably the baba, of Franco-Polish origin, imported to Naples by French chefs working for the local nobility. These cork-shaped brioches are soaked in rum syrup and topped with whipped cream or even Nutella and strawberries. Zeppole are small lamb-shaped doughnuts filled with custard, sometimes decorated with amarena cherries (zeppole di San Giuseppe). Struffoli are also small doughnuts with orange zest, shaped like a ball and topped with honey, eaten at Christmas.
Tarte caprese is a soft chocolate and almond pastry. Prepared for Easter, pastiera is a tart filled with a mixture of ricotta, wheat grains cooked in milk and candied fruit, flavored with cinnamon and orange blossom water. Delizia al limone is a Sorrento pastry in the form of a dome of limoncello cake, topped with lemon cream.
All kinds of pastries are available, the best known being sfogliatella. This puff pastry turnover, cut in the shape of a shell, is filled with a sweet ricotta mixture, flavored with vanilla and orange peel, although there are also variations with pistachio cream or even Nutella. Although Sicilian in origin, cannoli (tubes of fried dough filled with ricotta cream) can be found in every pastry shop in Naples.
It's impossible not to mention coffee, the preparation of which remains a veritable ritual. In general, coffee in Italy, even in the most modest bars, is at least as good as that served in the most prestigious French restaurants. Although we're already familiar with the classic espresso, ristretto and cappuccino, there's also caffè lungo (long), con panna (with a dash of cream), latte macchiato (hot milk, frothed milk with espresso) and caffè freddo (iced coffee).
Between wine and aperitivo
In Campania, the combination of soil and climate has led to the development and production of excellent wines, whether white, rosé or red. You can choose between DOP (PDO in Italian) and DOCG (the most prestigious appellation for an Italian wine). Today, this vineyard produces mainly table grapes, but the mineral-rich volcanic soil produces wines of fiery character. The three DOCG wines (Taurasi, Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino) come from volcanic soil mixed with limestone and clay in the province of Avellino, east of Naples. The historic Falanghina grape also produces light, dry whites in the Falerno area. Last but not least, the area around Vesuvius also has a long winegrowing history, with the excellent Lacryma Christi.
Italy is also known for its abundance ofaperitivo, often made with wine and cognac, sometimes mixed with herbs. Although not necessarily native to Campania, they are still widely used. These include Aperol, a low-alcohol bitter with bitter orange and gentian, while blood-red Campari contains orange peel and aromatic herbs. More surprisingly, Cynar is a bitter made from artichoke leaves. These spirits are used in many cocktails, such as americano (vermouth with bitters, cognac and lemon zest), spritz (prosecco with Aperol and a slice of orange) and Campari soda (Campari, sparkling water and a slice of lemon). Gingerino, a soda flavored with ginger, is also sometimes used.
Nocillo, a walnut-based liqueur flavored with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, is produced throughout the region. Also, around Benevento, try Strega and Montevergine del Centerbe, while on the Sorrento peninsula and in the coastal region, where citrus groves are particularly lush, try limoncello, one of the best in the country.
