Strolling through the historic center of Naples, discovering the history, legends and monuments that characterize this wonderful city, one cannot remain indifferent to the aromas coming from the many pastry shops, rotisseries and pizzerias along the streets that well tell the city's culture and gastronomic history.
This is our personal selection of the best of street food that a visitor around the city cannot fail to enjoy.
The undisputed queen of Neapolitan pastries is definitely the sfogliatella, a sweet born in the 17th century in the convent of Santa Rosa on the Amalfi Coast and now a symbol of the Neapolitan city for centuries.
The classic recipe calls for two different versions, riccia (puff pastry) or frolla (short pastry), filled with ricotta, semolina, orange blossom, candied fruit and a pinch of cinnamon. Take-away bakeries can be found on every corner of the city, and in all of them it is possible to enjoy both classic versions of this dessert and "modern" ones with alternative creams, such as hazelnut or pistachio.
Going from sweet to savory in Naples is a snap, so how can we fail to mention the many varieties of fried food that you can try on the streets.
An explosion of taste and calories is offered by the fried pizza, which became a symbol of Naples thanks to Sofia Loren's performance in one of the most famous scenes in the film "L'Oro di Napoli." Born in the difficult years of World War II, when Neapolitan pizza makers used to prepare it directly in their homes, it is now a typical dish of the Neapolitan tradition. The original version calls for dough filled with ricotta and cicoli (pieces of pork fat), but today there are many different versions, with tomato, basil and parmesan, or the "white" version, filled with cooked ham or salami and mozzarella.
And in the city, everything can be fried, from pasta, which fried in olive oil is transformed into tasty, golden fritters, to the small fritters that make up the famous "cuoppo," street food par excellence. A simple paper wrapper, wrapped in the shape of a cone to accommodate delicious fried dishes, such as battered vegetables, arancini, crocchè, fried polenta triangles and sciurilli (battered and fried squash flowers). Also increasingly popular are seafood cuoppi, with fried paranza, squid and seaweed fritters.
And if fried food makes you feel too guilty, you can always try the more "healthy" wallet pizza, a bite-sized pizza that can be closed on itself like a wallet. Seasoned with the golden ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, tomato, olive oil and mozzarella, it is served on a sheet of straw paper in every pizzeria in town.
Wallet pizza is perfect for satisfying the pangs that can strike at any hour but also the needs of our wallet; in fact, it is possible to buy it for a few euros, which makes it one of the favorite foods of students.
Pizza and cuoppo are perfect as a quick lunch or dinner, in the afternoon instead we recommend the classic Neapolitan aperitif with tarallo sugna, pepper and almonds, present in the Neapolitan "diet" since the 18th century. At that time, bakers, in order not to waste the scraps of dough from the different processes, thought it best to season it with caloric elements, such as precisely sugna (pork fat) and almonds. From the twisted and rounded scraps of dough, taralli sold by street hawkers were thus born. The best way to enjoy artisanal taralli is to accompany them with a cold beer, preferably walking along the waterfront at sunset time, to also enjoy the view of the gulf and Vesuvius
Curious to try some of these delicious dishes?
The Instazione team, upon request, organizes a street food tour in the historic center of Naples, to experience, in the company of a guide, the true atmosphere of the city. Let all your senses be engaged by the colors, sounds, and smells coming from the streets and clubs and fully experience an adventure that will change your worldview.
The guide will take you through the city's characteristic alleys, showing you the artistic and architectural sights but above all the best places to enjoy the original and most authentic street food.