Italy is justifiably famous for its food and drink. Discovering and tasting local specialties is always a big part of our Italian adventures, but there is one region which really stands out for us – Campania. Home to the city of Naples as well as the iconic Amalfi Coast, Campania has some of Italy’s best regional dishes. In this guide we’ll be talking about eating and drinking in Campania, highlighting our must-trys so that you will be ready for your trip to this Italian region.
What Makes Food in Campania Italy So Tasty?
Much of what people think of as Italian cuisine is actually Campania cuisine. Pizza margherita, limoncello, spaghetti with clams and Caprese salad are all from Campania originally. Thanks to immigrants from southern Italy taking their food culture with them around the world, and improved access to local ingredients, these dishes have become Italian staples.
The origins of Campanian culinary supremacy lies in the exceptionally fertile lands and coastal areas, which provide ideal conditions for growing and raising very specific crops and animals. Around Mount Vesuvius the repeated eruptions have left behind a legacy of mineral rich volcanic soil, which is perfect for grape vines, tomatoes and fruit trees. Further south towards Salerno the wide valleys are filled with buffalo, whose milk is used for the famous buffalo mozzarella and other cheeses, and olive trees (which were introduced by the ancient Greeks). Along the coast, all sorts of top quality fish are caught each day, from anchovies and mussels to swordfish and octopus.
While some food and drink in Campania has ancient roots, others are more recent. Pizza Napoletana originated in Naples after the introduction of the tomato in the 17th century, and the well-named Delizia al Limone dessert was only invented in Sorrento in 1978.
Wherever you go in Campania, the local dishes are all about letting these delicious ingredients shine, whether they have ancient origins or more recent roots. We never fail to be impressed by the fresh flavors and the way a simple combination brings each element to life. Seasonality shapes menus too, so if you visit in May you’ll find different choices compared to October.
10 Must-Trys When Eating and Drinking in Campania
While the food and drink in Campanian cuisine is excellent no matter what you choose, there are some specific things that we feel are definitely must-trys, beyond pizza Napoletana. The pizza in Naples is undoubtedly fantastic, but there is so much more to Campania. Below you’ll find the ingredients and dishes that for us really showcase this wonderful region:
1. Mozzarella di Bufala
You cannot come to Campania without tasting the real mozzarella di bufala. There is a world of difference between locally made, fresh buffalo mozzarella and what you’ll find at a grocery store, with the cheese having so much more flavor and complexity as well as a better consistency.
The key thing to remember with authentic mozzarella di bufala is that it should not be eaten fridge-cold, and that if a milky liquid does not come out when you cut into it, it is not fresh. It is a key component of a true Neapolitan pizza margherita, which should just be topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella di bufala and olive oil. Caprese salad should also be made with buffalo mozzarella, along with slices of fresh tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, seasoned simply with olive oil, salt and pepper – no balsamic vinegar though.
There are other mozzarella cheeses which you will see as part of the countless pizza toppings at Neapolitan pizza restaurants, such as fior di latte (made from cow’s milk rather than buffalo milk). These are very good too, but the buffalo mozzarella for us is always our go-to choice.
If you enjoy the taste of this cheese, we recommend trying other cheeses made with buffalo milk too, such as ricotta, scamorza and burrata.
2. Sfogliatelle
Naples and Campania are home to a huge variety of sweet pastries, cookies, pies and cakes. Walking into a pasticceria here is heaven for those of us with a sweet tooth. Options include torta Caprese, a rich flourless chocolate cake originally made on the island of Capri, the babà al rum, a rum-soaked sponge cake or a graffa, a sugar-coated ring donut made with mashed potatoes for a fluffy texture.
All of these are delightful, but the absolute must-try is a sfogliatella. These are everywhere in Campania, making them the signature pastry of the region, and locals eat them for breakfast and throughout the day.
Sfogliatelle are shell-shaped pastries filled with sweetened ricotta that has been mixed with candied orange zest and a hint of cinnamon. They come in two versions, sfogliatella riccia (made with flaky puff pastry) and sfogliatella frolla (made with sweet shortcrust pastry). People are very passionate about which one is best, so you’ll have to try them both and then you can join in the local discussions.
3. Campanian Wine
There are numerous varieties of Campanian wine to choose from during your trip. While wines from this region are not as well-known outside of Italy, there are lots of notable wines produced here, including Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Aglianico and Falanghina.
We usually go with the advice of our server when it comes to pairing wine with food, but there are some specific wines that we always enjoy:
- Taurasi – A DOCG red wine produced in the inland province of Avellino, made predominantly with the local Aglianico grape. Perfect with meat dishes, or a big bowl of pasta with Neapolitan ragu.
- Fiano di Avellino – Another DOCG wine, Fiano di Avellino has its roots in a grape brought to Italy by the ancient Greeks. As a balanced white wine it pairs well with all sorts of seafood, as well as cheese and pasta dishes.
- Lacryma Christi – Produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, Lacryma Christi comes in red, white, rose and sparkling variations, using a blend of local grape varieties. The volcanic soil gives the final product a dryer, more mineral wine which is very drinkable.
4. Anchovies and Colatura di Alici
The spectacular coast of Campania produces a lot of fish, but one of the most important is anchovies. Those caught here, particularly along the Amalfi Coast, are considered some of the best anchovies in the world, and you’ll see them used in all sorts of ways on local menus.
We particularly love the marinated anchovies, with the white wine vinegar and herb topping a perfect appetizer, or fresh anchovies that have been lightly floured and fried whole. You’ll also see anchovies on pizzas and in pasta dishes.
There is another special anchovy product to try, made in Cetara, one of the small Amalfi Coast towns. This is called colatura di alici, and is a sort of fish sauce. The anchovy sauce is made by collecting the liquid that builds up when fresh anchovies are cured with salt, and is based on an ancient Roman recipe for something similar called garum.
Colatura di alici is a pure hit of flavor wherever it is used. As production is still small and largely only distributed locally, if you have the chance to try some, you should definitely do so.
5. Mussels
Another Campania seafood classic is mussels, which are prepared in a few different ways here. Caught and eaten fresh almost daily, mussels have been farmed in the coastal waters of the region for millennia so they know how to get the best out of the shellfish.
In Naples itself the most common way to serve them is all’impepata, where the mussels (cozze) have been steamed with lots of black pepper. You’ll also see mussels which have been sauteed with white wine, or a version where they are cooked in a tomato sauce too.
Mussels are also a major feature of pasta and rice dishes, so you are sure to be able to try them even if you don’t want a full bowl to yourself. They are a very versatile shellfish, but the best mussels are unsurprisingly the fresh ones so it’s always worth checking this before ordering.
6. Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina
Next up on our must try list for eating and drinking in Campania is a deceptively simple dish, gnocchi alla Sorrentina.
As the name suggests, this dish comes from Sorrento, but you can find it all over Campania. It brings together the best of the local produce, so while you will find it on menus outside of Campania, we’ve found it can be a little disappointing.
The potato gnocchi pieces are mixed with a tomato, garlic and basil sauce before being layered in a baking dish with mozzarella cheese and baked in the oven. The gooey cheese, bright tomato sauce and fluffy gnocchi go so well together, creating the ultimate comfort food. This is a particularly good meal after a long day of sightseeing.
7. Local Lemons
One of the first things people think about when it comes to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast is lemons. Far from being a tourist hook however, the lemons really are extra special and deserve all the attention they get.
The lemons grown on the Amalfi Coast are a different variety to those grown on the Sorrento peninsula and Capri, but they are both used a lot. Not only are the lemons a key component of limoncello, they are also used in pastas, salads, gelato, cosmetics, oils, condiments and more. The lemon peel is particularly fragrant and the flesh is juicy, so locals can get a lot of use out of them.
Limoncello is the most popular digestif in Campania, served at the end of meals, and there is still a strong local rivalry about who makes the best limoncello. Do as we do and try a lot of it while exploring the area and see if you can come to a conclusion!
Some of our other favorite ways to enjoy the local lemons include the Delizia al Limone, a dessert made with a limoncello-soaked sponge cake base, topped with lemon cream, and a lemon pesto made on the island of Procida which is lovely with pasta or fish.
8. Spaghetti alle Vongole
Spaghetti alle vongole, or spaghetti with clams, first appeared in a Neapolitan cookbook in 1837. Pasta was previously a luxury food, but in the 17th century changing economic conditions meant that it could be produced cheaper and more efficiently. Neapolitans became famous for being pasta-eaters, and the traditional slow-drying methods still in use today in places like Gragnano were developed.
This shift in the use of pasta led to lots of new dishes becoming popular, and along the coast where clams are found in large quantities, it was an easy jump to mix them together. Spaghetti alle vongole is so popular in Campania that it is an essential part of the Christmas Eve meal.
We love it because it is still at its heart a simple dish. The clams are steamed before being tossed with cooked pasta, with perhaps a little white wine, with the pasta starch and cooking broth combining to make a simple sauce that coats the pasta strands. Finished with chopped parsley and a little olive oil, it is the perfect combination.
9. Provolone del Monaco
As well as the tasty buffalo cheeses, there is another particular cheese that we eat as much as we can when we’re in Campania. Provolone del Monaco is thoroughly Campanian (despite its name), made from the milk of a specific breed of cows that are raised in the Lattari mountains between Sorrento and Salerno.
The name derives from a nickname for the farmers who would come down from the mountains to Naples to sell their products. They would wear thick robes to protect them from the cold, similar to what monks would wear, and so the Neopolitans called them monks, with the provolone cheese being “the monk’s cheese”.
Provolone del Monaco is a semi-hard aged cheese, which has an intense flavor, tangy yet buttery. Locals use it both to cook with and to eat as is, but our favorite way to enjoy this cheese is in pasta alla Nerano.
A more recent invention, this pasta was created in the 1950s in the village of Nerano, which is on the tip of the Sorrento peninsula before the start of the Amalfi coast. Using zucchini that have been sliced and fried in olive oil, pasta Nerano combines these fried zucchini pieces with plenty of local provolone del Monaco and basil to make a creamy sauce.
10. Neapolitan Coffee
Finally we come to the one thing that you absolutely cannot miss out on when in Campania, which is Neapolitan coffee.
There is nothing that happens in Naples or the wider region without a caffè. Espresso is served from before the sun comes up to late at night, and you can’t walk for more than a few minutes without seeing another bar.
Neapolitan coffee is dark roasted, which creates a richer and more aromatic flavor. Neapolitans take their coffee extremely seriously, even giving you a small glass of water to cleanse your palate before drinking your coffee. Whether as a straight espresso or as part of a cappuccino or macchiato, you’re guaranteed a good cup of coffee therefore.
If you’re visiting Campania in the summer, you also need to try a crema di caffè. Made by churning espresso with milk and cream before freezing it, the result is a type of thick coffee milkshake, perfect for both cooling down and getting your caffeine fix.
Taste Your Way Through Campania
We love eating and drinking in Campania, and all of our adventures in this region have a strong focus on the local products and dishes on offer. If you’d like to join us on our next trip to Naples, the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento, check out the details of the fun itinerary here and see what we’ve got planned for our guests. Find out how to book your space and contact us if you have any questions.
