The scenic Amalfi Coast in the southern region of Italy is a gourmet wonderland. Here are our picks for what to eat on the Amalfi Coast.
A Sweet Start to Your Day
Coffee on the Amalfi Coast is Neapolitan style, rich and flavorful. Have a sweet start to your day with a light, sugar encrusted brioche with a cappuccino freddo. Some places along the coast will make cappuccino freddo by filling a tall glass with icy coffee granite and pouring milk over it.
Coastal Bounty
The blue waters of the Mediterranean are filled with pezzogna (blue-spotted bream), spigola (sea bass), orata (gilthead), and rombo (turbot) to name a few. Ask your server what is fresh that day. Fish will usually be served lightly grilled with olive oil and lemon or Acqua Pazza (crazy water) style in a light herby, garlicky tomato sauce.
Zuppe de Cozze – mussels stewed in a hearty garlic rich tomato sauce.
Acciughe/Alice marinate – fresh anchovies served cold with lots of Amalfi lemon juice and olive oil.
Polpo – octopus; this is served as part of a cold mixed seafood salad or in a mixed seafood pasta.
Mozzarella – The Campania region is where mozzarella originates. There are two types Mozzarella di Bufala made from the milk of water buffalos and Fior di Latte is made from cows milk. Mozzarella di Bufala has a creamier, softer texture.
Our favorite way to eat mozzarella is grilled on lemon leaves or in a Caprese salad. An authentic Caprese salad is made with Mozzarella di Buffala, Tomatoes and Basil with a drizzle of oilve oil.
If you are really serious about Mozzarella di Bufala pay a visit Tenuta Vannulo near Paestum
La Caponata – This humble dish from Peninsula is made from dried whole wheat bread, sometime made with cornmeal called fresella or vescuotti. The bread is then softened with a little water and topped with tomatoes and other seasonal vegetables, sometime some tuna and lots of basil and olive oil.
Parmigiana Melanzane – fresh eggplant and tomatoes are layered with fior di latte mozzarella and bail and baked.
Tomatoes – Two special types of tomatoes to look out for and try on the Amalfi Coast are the small Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio and the long, thin San Marzano.
Zucchini a’Scapecce – The summer’s zucchini bounty is marinated in vinegar, mint and a little bit of fresh chili pepper.
Pasta from Granano – This town, in the mountains above the Amalfi Coast, produces some of Italy’s best pasta. The town was designed so that the pasta could be dried in the city streets and main piazza. Now there are small scale factories where more modern drying techniques are used.
Pizza – The Amalfi Coast is so close to Naples that the delicious, thick crusted, wood oven baked, pies are easily found.
La Dolce
Baba – This Neapolitan cake is soaked in rum or limoncello and sometimes slpit and filled with fresh whipped cream.
Delizia al Limone – is a light sponge cake soaked in lemon syrup or sometimes limoncello and topped with a light whipped lemon cream.
Granita – Granite in Italian – Be on the look out for mobile carts selling lemon granite. Made from local lemons, it is an icy, slushy, tart and sweet refreshing treat.
What to Drink on the Amalfi Coast
White Wine– The perfect accompaniment to a beachy lunch is a jug of cold local white wine filled with peaches. This is sometimes called sangria Other local whites we love are Coda di Volpe, Falanghina and Greco de Tufo.
Beer – In Anacapri there is a small craft brewery, Birra Capri, that is producing three refreshing brews.
In Capri look for the kiosk advertising the Capri energy drink, a refreshing lemon granite drenched in freshly squeezed orange juice.
Read more about eating in Italy here.
