“For the inhabitants of Amalfi who go to Heaven, it will just be a day like any other,” Italian poet Renato Fucini once wrote after visiting one of Campania’s most magical cities. The same could be said for just about any part of this remarkably beautiful region, especially its coastline, which has been much celebrated and is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. They come not only to soak up the sun on the beach, visit the delightful islands of Capri or Ischia, stroll the ancient streets of the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, marvel at volcanic Mt. Vesuvius, or dodge the traffic in Naples, but also to experience the food and wine culture that has become a jewel in the area’s crown.
In contrast to the complex city of Naples, the cooking of Campania is delightfully simple – but it’s also, like Naples’ bustling streets, speedy. Fresh fish and seafood (such as octopus, mussels and baby clams) from the Gulf of Naples, tomatoes and other vegetables grown in the region’s fertile volcanic soil, aromatic buffalo mozzarella cheese, and of course, pizza and pasta (especially spaghetti), are the region’s best-loved foods, and all are prepared with a minimum of fuss. Friendly, fast, and far from bland, Campanian cooking mirrors its inhabitants’ good humor and unrestrained joie de vivre.
Specialty Foods of Campania
Mozzarella di bufala Campana, or buffalo mozzarella, is the most celebrated and prized of mozzarella cheeses, made exclusively from whole buffalo milk. A cheese of very ancient origin, mozzarella takes its name from a very special part of the production cycle, when the curd, after being stretched, is mozzata (an Italian term meaning “lopped off”) to obtain pieces of a suitable size. Italian buffalo have always been concentrated in the Southern region of Campania; most of the herds are in the province of Caserta. The mozzarella production chain is so inextricably tied to this area that buffalo mozzarella of the Campania region obtained the DOP (Denominazione dOrigine Protetta -Protected Designation of Origin) mark in 1996, guaranteeing maximum quality for the consumer.
Born in Naples more than 300 years ago, pizza is often thought of as “genuine Italian food” by non-Italians, but this beloved food was little known in Italy (outside of Naples) until the 1970s. Pizza came to the United States early in the 20th century during the great migration of Italians from Southern Italy. Today, pizza is enormously popular the world over, even if it sometimes hardly resembles the authentic Neapolitan dish (pineapple, anyone?) In 2004, Italy drew up a series of rules that must be followed to make a true Neapolitan pizza: the dough must rise for at least six hours and must be kneaded and shaped by hand; the pizza must be round and no more than 13.7 inches in diameter; and it must be cooked in a wood-fired oven. And only three versions are permitted: Marinara with garlic and oregano; Margherita with basil, tomatoes and cheese from the southern Apennine mountains; and the “Extra Margherita” which must include buffalo mozzarella from the Campania region.
When is a lemon more than just a lemon? When it’s a Sorrento Ovale, also known as the Massa Lubrense lemon, which is produced and sold under the protection of the European Union. This high quality, highly perfumed medium-to-large fruit is identified by its sweet, juicy flesh and few seeds. Even its cultivation is special: the precious fruit is hand-picked to prevent it falling to the ground, and is typically is ripened under pagliarelle, straw mats attached to wooden poles (preferably made of chestnut), which help protect it from the elements. This method also allows for longer ripening times, making the lemons available for a longer season.
The most famous product made from Sorrento lemons is limoncello (or limunciel, as the Campanians call it), a delicious liqueur that is the result of an infusion of lemon peel in the purest alcohol. This traditional recipe has been handed down through generations. The herbal liqueur strega, which is enjoyed throughout Italy, is produced in the capital town of Benevento from a secret recipe that has been closely guarded by the Alberti family for almost 140 years.
