Rome being Italy’s capital has been quicker to evolve and adapt but there still are deep rooted notions about what’s right and what’s wrong in terms of food timings, combinations, manners etc. The pizza culture runs rampant in Rome and everything from the simple margherita to the capriccioso to Neapolitan pizza is found in abundance at all corners of Rome. Traditionally Roman Pizza is flat and crispy while Naples originated pizza is fluffier.
In Rome it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the amazing variety of pasta; there are at least 15 different kinds of shapes and textures not to mention the colour variations. The Italians are in general quite enthusiastic about explanations when it comes to food and in the smaller family run trattorias it’s easy to get a full verbal guide about pasta.
When it comes to dessert, Gelato (Italian ice cream) and Tiramisu undoubtedly rule Rome though the latter dessert is kind of an adopted favourite. When it comes to meat besides beef, veal, pork, fish, duck and all mainstream non vegetarian entrees there is a traditional custom of serving intestines and offal’s cooked to perfection often with lots of black pepper and shepherd cheese.
Some other dishes that you definitely must try in Rome are Suppli (fried ball of rice with ragu/ cheese), Fiori di Zucca (battered blooms of zucchini with anchovies and mozzarella), Baccala (salted cod deep fried), Carciofi alla Romana (artichokes with herbs), Cacio e Pepe (handmade tonnarelli noodles with salty pecorino cheese), Cicoria Ripassata (leafy greens sautéed with garlic and pepper) and Saltimbocca (veal marinated in white wine and seasoned with sage). The adventurous can opt for coda alla vaccinara or Oxtail stew, panino with trippa alla Romana or cow stomach.
Rome’s favourite vegetables seem to be artichokes and chicory and mushrooms ….all hardy variants that were popularised by the cash strapped, enterprising and simple shepherds folk who originally lived here. A typical Italian meal will have an apertivo (starter drink), antipasto (appetiser), primi, secondi (first and second courses), cotorno (salad), dolce (ice cream), caffee and digestive (spice infused roman drinks that aid in digestion). Try the digestive ….it’s a quaint Italian custom; order limoncello (sweet lemon based liquor) or amaro (slightly bitter) or grappa (made from grapes).
Sunday Lunch is a huge custom in Rome and indeed all over Italy. You will see local families really bonding over the Sunday afternoon meals that may take close to 3 hours. This is when locals eat up the entire selection of courses detailed above….and more. During weekdays most Romans just have some pasta, pizza or a sandwich with their favourite drink. On Thursdays it’s a custom to eat Gnocchi in Rome…go to any restaurant and you will see Gnocchi lettered in bold on the menu.
On Fridays many restaurants serve fish specials. Both practices stem from the catholic culture and the Friday fast which culminates in a light fish based meal on Friday evening. Of course this is why Romans stuff themselves with a heavy calorie laden meal like Gnocchi on Thursdays.
Cappuccino is a big thing in Rome but it’s almost exclusively a breakfast element. You won’t usually see locals ordering Cappuccino with their hearty meals which is why there are hardly any mentions of Rome’s favourite morning beverage on this list. Espresso is almost exclusively had after dinner and not at any random time of the day. The pastry and croissant culture are big too but these are less sweet and less buttery than their French counterparts.
Read: Top food & wine tours in Rome.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.