Campania Food History

In campania as in sicily you will find the elaborate dishes of the seventeenth and eighteenth century french monzù tradition.

Campania food history. Fishing is important in the bay of naples procida and torre del greco being the leading ports. The ricotta di fuscella very fresh and light was originally sold in hand made baskets. In fact we can thank this region for one of the world s most popular dishes pizza. Campania was a full fledged part of the roman republic by the end of the 4th century bc valued for its pastures and rich countryside.

Campania s famous mozzarella cheese is an important ingredient in many traditional dishes including the well known parmigiana melanzane or eggplant parmesan. The agriculture of campania goes well beyond grapes. The capital of campania is naples and it was here many centuries ago that an unknown street baker invented the pizza. During the pyrrhic war in 275 bc the battle of beneventum took place in campania in the samnite city of.

Starting from the freshest ones the most used are. One a rich rice timballo called sartù di riso is made only for feasts. Thin slices of eggplant are fried and then layered with tomato sauce mozzarella and basil and when baked the flavors meld in an irresistible and comforting dish. Campania produces tomatoes peppers spring onions potatoes artichokes fennel lemons and oranges all of which take on the flavour of the fertile volcanic soil and grow to gigantic proportions.

The ricotta fresca eaten both fresh and as side ingredient for instance on top of pasta with neapolitan ragù the ricotta. He was never recognised for his invention but the pizza is now popular world wide and is known as the ultimate street food. Where there are buffalo there is buffalo milk and where there is buffalo milk there is mozzarella di bufala one of the great cheeses of the world. On one hand there is the mountain in the provinces of avellino and benevento who fall into the geographical area of the southern apennines and present physical demographical and cultural characteristics similar to those of the surrounding regions such as abruzzo molise and basilicata.

The chief crops are fruit apricots apples peaches nuts citrus and grapes early vegetables and flowers and such industrial crops as tobacco and hemp. Although their origins are disputed campania is also home to native water buffalo and has been for many many centuries. Commonly found now as a filling. Naples with its greek language and customs made it a centre of hellenistic culture for the romans creating the first traces of greco roman culture.

This delicious food had been eaten in different forms for centuries before it was invented in its modern day style in naples.