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  • Ice creams is one of the 5 Foods You Must Try in Rome - Italian Notes

5 Foods You Must Try in Rome

Napoli is famous for pizza, and Sicily for its cannoli; but when in Rome you can only do as the Romans do, and eat yourself silly. If you’re looking for fine food in abundance, you’d better book those flights to Rome sharpish.



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Guest post by Julie Herd

There are plenty of lovely sights in Rome too: the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Colosseum are all great for those instagram moments, but for a dedicated foodie like myself it’s not the culture that has me browsing Roman holidays on BMI. There are so many great things to eat it’s difficult to choose a top five, but for me the following dishes really stand out.

Edible Flowers

Jamie Oliver always goes on about stuffed zuchinni blossoms (fiori di zucca), and it’s no wonder. Usually they’re served deep fried stuffed with cheese and anchovies. Crispy, crunchy, and surprisingly delicate, I soon found myself addicted. In Rome they also appear on pizza and in pasta, too. These little delicacies are very difficult, if not impossible, to come by in the UK so I urge you to take the chance while you’re in Rome to try them.

5 Foods You Must Try in Rome

Zucchini and zucchini flowers on sale at a local farmer’s market.

Fried Rice with a Melting Heart

Sticking to the fried theme (I am Scottish after all), the street  food supplì is another addictive treat. I’d equate it to a Scotch egg, only instead of sausage meat it’s tomato infused rice, and instead of an egg in the middle it’s melting mozzarella cheese. These bad boys are served hot fresh out the deep fat fryer so be careful not to burn your tongue.

Pasta Topping

For dinner, carbonara is a must eat for me. Carbonara in Rome is so different from the cream based spaghetti dish we’re used to in the UK. Authentic carbonara is made with egg yolks instead. There are a couple of things to remember when ordering carbonara: the first is that it probably won’t be served with spaghetti, but rigatoni instead. The other is that the Italians enjoy pasta ‘al dente’ style: which means that it will still be a little hard to the bite.

Irresistible Meat

Meat lovers must try saltimbocca alla Romana, a traditional Roman dish of sage seasoned veal wrapped in prosciutto and fried. The fact that the name itself means ‘jump in mouth’ is testament to how delicious it is. There’s not much else to say, but try it.

5 Foods You Must Try in Rome

Soft drinks and fast food on sale in front of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore,

Sample Ice Cream

You can’t visit Italy without sampling the gelato, and luckily there are no shortage of gelatarias in Rome. Rich and creamy, it’s ice cream the way it’s supposed to be. Any ounce of diet based guilt will fly out of the window when you pay a visit to the local favourite I Caruso, or off the beaten track Ciampini. Feast your senses on the often beautiful displays; ice cream of all flavours piled high before being scooped up into a cone or tub. Bliss.

Food tastes so great in Italy usually because it’s fresh and local. Seek out fresh local produce, and you will never go wrong: even if you are just eating a salad.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Julie of Edinburgh-based flight comparison company, Skyscanner.net.

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17 replies
  1. Kristian
    Kristian says:
    July 20, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    Thanks for this post! I had no idea about supplini, although I was familiar with the Sicilian cousin, arancini.

    One thing I absolutely love is roman artichokes (carciofi romani)…the little ones. Every chance I get to eat them, I do!

    Reply
  2. Sophie
    Sophie says:
    July 21, 2012 at 5:55 am

    You know, in my experience, Italian food is excellent everywhere but in Rome. I’ve had more mediocre meals there than anywhere, so any tips are very welcome. WiIl def. save this for next time.

    Reply
  3. Jess @UsedYorkCity
    Jess @UsedYorkCity says:
    July 23, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    Those stuffed blossoms sound amazing!!! I was so busy stuffing my face with pasta on my visit to Rome that I completely bypassed any veggie options…will definitely have to go back and take some of your tips!

    Reply
  4. D.J. - The World of Deej
    D.J. - The World of Deej says:
    July 26, 2012 at 2:16 am

    Yum!…This foodie is inspired!

    Reply
  5. Laurence
    Laurence says:
    July 26, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    I’m predictable, and love Pizza and Pasta. And the fresh fish of course, that the Med is so good at. Mmmmm.

    Reply
  6. Laurel
    Laurel says:
    July 27, 2012 at 9:08 am

    Love all the food I’ve eaten in Rome, but the stuffed zucchini are so pretty.

    Reply
  7. Don Faust
    Don Faust says:
    July 29, 2012 at 10:26 pm

    I haven’t have the stuffed zuchini blossoms – sounds great – I tried other variety squash blossoms, and they’re great. We were eating carbonara sometimes for late breakfast – it’s sooo good.

    Reply
  8. Jade Johnston - OurOyster.com
    Jade Johnston - OurOyster.com says:
    July 31, 2012 at 5:10 am

    mmmm, im getting hungry now… might need to take a break from the computer and get some food now!

    Reply
  9. Lisa
    Lisa says:
    August 4, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    All good dishes but I can’t do Rome without the quintessential L’Amatriciana Now, I’m hungry! :)

    Reply
  10. Turtle
    Turtle says:
    August 7, 2012 at 1:41 pm

    I don’t know how you stopped at just five!!

    Reply
  11. admin
    admin says:
    August 7, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    You’re right – there should be plenty of material for a sequel.

    Reply
  12. Mary @ Green Global Travel
    Mary @ Green Global Travel says:
    September 21, 2012 at 3:41 pm

    Some of my best memories of Rome revolve around the food…yum! I made it my personal mission to find the best gelato and while I can’t say I found a definitive winner I sure had a good time trying!

    Reply
  13. paolo
    paolo says:
    April 9, 2013 at 7:58 am

    Hi
    correect name is SUPPLI’ nto supplini , are fried riceballs with tomatoes and mozzarella.

    in case you could need accomodation downtown, we manage 2 flats near coliseum.

    pls contact us at manzoniguesthouse@gmail.com

    ciao!
    paolo

    Reply
  14. W il Gelato
    W il Gelato says:
    April 13, 2013 at 12:34 am

    Try us next time!

    Reply
  15. Lorenzo
    Lorenzo says:
    December 5, 2013 at 2:13 pm

    Quoting Paolo: “Supplì”, NOT “Supplini”.
    Lorenzo from Rome

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      December 8, 2013 at 2:03 pm

      Thanks for putting that straight. I’ll let the guest writer know:)

      Reply

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  1. 5 Foods You Must Try in Rome | goodthingsfromitaly says:
    April 8, 2013 at 12:10 pm

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