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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Yum!…This foodie is inspired!
I’m predictable, and love Pizza and Pasta. And the fresh fish of course, that the Med is so good at. Mmmmm.
Love all the food I’ve eaten in Rome, but the stuffed zucchini are so pretty.
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.
mmmm, im getting hungry now… might need to take a break from the computer and get some food now!
All good dishes but I can’t do Rome without the quintessential L’Amatriciana Now, I’m hungry! :)
I don’t know how you stopped at just five!!
You’re right – there should be plenty of material for a sequel.
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!
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
Try us next time!
Quoting Paolo: “Supplì”, NOT “Supplini”.
Lorenzo from Rome
Thanks for putting that straight. I’ll let the guest writer know:)