Oct 5, 20203 min read

Eat Like a Local in Napoli

The home of every Italian dish you know and love, Naples offers everything from classic pizza and pasta to fresh seafood and powerful volcanic wines

Although you probably already know that humanity’s finest pizza and pasta graces the whole nation of Italy, the culinary history of Naples is notorious and older than Rome itself. The traditional food in this region is characterized by the simple ingredients of the poorer classes, executed with great skill and a sense of perfection.

Baba au Rhum on the go : Rum layered Baba in a glass with Chantilly Cream or Strawberries and Whipped Cream by followstylepassion

Neapolitan street food offers everything from fried morsels of fish, to fried pizza, cheese-filled pastries and even pork offal for the bravest foodies. Restaurant creations of meatballs doused in ragù may be served alongside pasta, cheeses, vegetables and sweets. Naples is a place to forget your waistline and enjoy every culinary masterpiece you find. If you go to Naples, here’s what you cannot miss!

Pizza Napoletana

Need we say more? Naples is the motherland of pizza as we know it. Pizza slathered with tomato sauce, cheese and basil existed here as early as the 18th century, but later named Pizza Margherita after the queen of Italy in 1889. The texture should be chewy, the cheese is always mozzarella, and the basil is fresh. Most importantly, look out for a slightly charred crust, the signature of a stone oven.

Ragù

Better than the stuff in tightly sealed glass jars at the grocery store, and probably better than your grandmother’s, Neapolitan ragù pairs with pasta to make the perfect marriage. Chefs start with good, volcanically enriched tomatoes and add meat to create a robust flavour unique to Naples. The sauce is traditionally mixed with pasta of the ziti variety. Just so you know, the town of Gragnano in the Municipality of Naples produces some of the finest grades of pasta in the world.

Frittata di Pasta

Frittata di pasta or literally “pasta omelette” is a baked pasta pie fresh from the oven. Pasta is prepared normally but then a delicious concoction of eggs, cheese and even meat sauce, peas and more cheese is added and baked in the oven like a deep-dish pizza. Served like a slice of pie, request a piece that maximizes your share of the coveted crispy bits of burned Parmesan cheese along the top edges!

Sartu’ di Riso

Sartu’ di Riso signifies everything good that Naples, Italy food has to offer. It is pasta’s answer to the meat lovers’ pizza. Imagine combining mini meatballs, chicken livers, meat ragu”, pancetta, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, provolone cheese, fior’di latte cheese, peas and whatever else strikes your fancy.

This beast of stuffing is then added to a large Jell-O mould, itself lined and topped with rice, and then everything is baked to a toasty brown. Once turned upside down and extracted, the dish resembles a savoury version of an angel food cake served slice by slice. It is the ultimate expression of Naples’ allure.

Neapolitan Coffee

In 2017 Naples made the news, as its Neapolitan style of pizza making was given UNESCO World Heritage status. Up next? A petition to do the same for its coffee! The Neapolitans take their food and its superiority seriously (and often with good reason!). Neapolitan coffee is strong and thick and served frequently. Neapolitan style coffee makers have been largely replaced by Moka pots in Naples today.

Where can you have good coffee in Naples? It’s everywhere — pops into a little bar or pastry shop and orders an espresso at the counter. But for an elegant experience, don’t miss a coffee and pastry at Gran Caffè Gambrinus– a gorgeous Belle Epoque café opened in 1860, located right next to the Royal Palace of Naples.