Top 4 Foods to Try In Naples, Italy Plus Their Origins

Naples is a famous tourist city in Italy. Recording a significant number of visitors each year, this popular city, which lies in Southern Italy is well known for food. Actually, it’s the origin of pizza, a delicacy millions of people around the globe relish. For food or culinary tourists, Naples is certainly a must-visit destination in a lifetime. For those who are planning to visit the city, here are the top 7 delicious, native and historical dishes you should definitely try:

1.Margherita Pizza

You may have tried Margherita pizza several times before, but you’ve probably never tasted the original pizza unless you’ve been served one in a restaurant located in Naples, Italy. Made from San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt the real Margherita pizza tastes absolutely superb with a chewy texture coupled with a sweet and tangy flavor.

Historians give credit to baker Raffaele Esposito from Naples for being the inventor of a pizza pie alongside the Margherita pizza, which is popular the world over. Esposito had been asked to make pizza for King Umberto I who had visited the city together with his wife Queen Margherita in 1889. Consequently, he topped his pizza pie with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil, creating what’s known today as “Margherita pizza”. Unfortunately, Umberto was assassinated a year later. However, historians also acknowledge that street vendors in Naples sold flatbreads with toppings for many centuries before Esposito’s culinary invention.

Don’t worry if you can’t be in Naples at this time as you can still make your own authentic Margherita pizza at home, using Home Chef’s exclusive meal kit.

Home Chef

Home Chef is a well-known brand that delivers carefully selected meal kits together with the corresponding recipes to customers who have paid for a subscription. This entity is a great alternative to Hello Fresh and Sun Basket.

Having said that, here’s a nice review post that summarizes it in a nutshell. Besides shedding light on the menu, prices, delivery system, how this service works, and other important aspects about it, the author has gone the extra mile to point out what they liked and disliked about it. That only proves how unbiased they were in writing the article.

2. Babà

Very popular in Naples, babà is a mushroom-shaped cake, consisting of a buttery, yeast-based dough, soaked with liquor(typically rum). In its most basic format, this traditional European pastry is made with tahini, eggplant, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt as the other ingredients. By the way, this synchronizes perfectly with any type of wine.

Thought to originate in Poland and its invention attributed to Stanislaw Leszczynski, King of Poland, the cake is overwhelmingly yummy with a smoky, savory flavor plus a smooth texture.

This is a typical snack in Naples, and Southern Italy in general, which you just shouldn’t wind up your trip without trying it. Notably, it goes well with homemade limoncello, which is a special lemon-flavored local liqueur.

Here’s how Babà was invented;

King Stanislaw Leszczynski who had fled to exile in Lorraine(a historic province located in the northeast of France, particularly on the borders of Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium), fell in love with a local cake known as “Gugelhupf”. Eventually getting tired of the cake’s taste, Stanislaw, one day, dunked his cake in sweet wine. To his surprise, the result was an extremely delicious cake he decided to name “babà”, based on the name of a character in the book he was reading to kill boredom titled “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” You’ve probably read that book or at least heard the story, haven’t you?

A few years later when the king’s daughter married France’s King Louis XV, she brought Nicholas Stohrer who was her favorite cook who introduced baba to the Palace of Versailles.

3. Frittata di Pasta

Finally, a trip to Naples wouldn’t be complete and memorable without a try of Frittata di pasta, which translates to “Pasta Omelette'', in English. Consisting of an egg-cream blend, which is gently cooked until set, this local delicacy tastes so good that words cannot adequately describe the taste! Plus, it can be enriched with additional ingredients like vegetables, cheeses, and meat for a more delectable taste plus filling and nutritious combination.

What’s more, a frittata can be a perfect Valentine or Easter brunch option that you can easily make at home with the right ingredients and recipe. This can also be a great picnic dish for outdoors enthusiasts , just in case you are one. Plus, it’s very easy to make as everything is cooked in one pan.

Though widely popular in southern Italy, Frittata di pasta originated in Northern Italy, particularly Naples. Unfortunately, there are no details on when or who invented the Italian version of an omelette.

4. Parmigiana di Melanzane

Parmigiana di Melanzane translates to “Eggplant Parmigiana” in English. For starters, parmigiana is actually an English word that refers to a dish made or served with Parmesan cheese.

Consisting of a wide array of ingredients including eggplant, flour, basil, olive oil, sunflower oil, tomato puree, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, this Neapolitan dish absolutely tastes like heaven. It’s a luscious main course perfect for lunch or dinner any day. Though its origin is unclear, many parts of Italy, including Naples have claimed to invent it.

Final Thoughts

For food lovers who are into food tourism, there’s no perfect destination to visit this year other than Naples. For those who will actually visit the city in the future, be sure to try Margherita Pizza, Babà, Frittata di Pasta, and Parmigiana di Melanzane. For those who won’t be able to, the recipes are readily available online. These will show you how to make these dishes like a pro despite not having professional culinary skills. These dishes are simply fantabulous for the lack of better words to describe them. Otherwise, good luck with your trip and travel more.