Food tour on the Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is as beautiful to look at as it is good to “eat”. Renowned throughout the world for its food and wine tradition, it is a must-see for lovers of good food. It is unthinkable to think of being in this area and not trying its delicious dishes and culinary products.
What to eat on the Amalfi Coast? Follow us on this gastronomic journey through the specialties and excellent products that the area offers.
Cetara anchovy sauce
One of the tastiest preparations on the Amalfi Coast is the Cetara anchovy sauce, a very tasty sauce obtained from the fermentation of salted anchovies. The anchovies, caught in the spring-summer period (between March and July), are cleaned and placed under salt, pressed with different weights. The liquid produced by pressing and maturation is then filtered, exposed to the sun and finally bottled. Its origins are very ancient: Apicius, the famous gastronome of ancient Rome, made good use of it in the kitchen. Traditionally it is used to season spaghetti but can be used to flavor any dish.
Scialatielli amalfitana
Among the first courses, it is a must to try the scialatielli all’Amalfitana, also called alla scoglio. Scilatielli are a type of pasta typical of the Amalfi Coast and it seems that the name derives from the union of two Campania dialect terms: “scialare” (enjoy) and “tiella” (pot). They resemble large tagliolini, with a rather irregular rectangular section, but shorter. Long recognized as PAT (traditional agri-food products), they were invented by the Amalfi chef Enrico Cosentino in 1978. They can be seasoned in a thousand different ways but the traditional recipe includes a delicious seasoning based on seafood and cherry tomatoes.
Minori’s ndunderi
Minori’s ndunderi are a sort of fresh gnocchi obtained from a mixture of flour and ricotta. And they are one of the oldest pastas in the world. In fact, it seems that they are a variant of the “Latin balls” of Roman origin, which were made with “farina caseata”, or with spelled and curdled milk. It was then the pasta makers of Minori who modified the recipe. It is tradition that they are consumed on the days when the celebrations are held in honor of Santa Trofimena, patron saint of Minori. The preferred condiment for ndunderi is meat sauce but they can be combined with any type of sauce.
Praianese squid
The cuisine of Praiano is famous for the goodness of its fish-based dishes, among which Praiano style squid stand out. The molluscs, strictly fresh, are cut into rounds of about 2 centimeters and then cooked in a pan together with potatoes, oil and garlic. This is a “poor” recipe but rich in flavour. The potatoes grown on the typical terraces pair perfectly with the squid, which, according to the fishermen’s stories, are caught in the area from Praiano to Punta Campanella. Like all self-respecting culinary traditions, the recipe for this dish has been handed down for generations.
Tramonti’s pizza
Everyone knows pizza but few know that, in addition to the classic Neapolitan one, one of its most popular variations in the world comes from Tramonti, a small village nestled in the Lattari mountains of the Amalfi Coast. It differs from the Neapolitan one due to the dough, which involves the use of wholemeal flour with the addition of wild fennel, and for a more prolonged cooking at a temperature not exceeding 350°. The result is a crispy and fragrant pizza. This tradition has its roots in the distant Middle Ages, when a kind of flatbread flavored with herbs or at most a little lard was prepared in the ovens.
Lemon delight
And last but not least, you can’t leave the coast without having had a feast of lemon delights. It is the most famous dessert on the coast, obviously prepared with one of the typical products of the area, the Amalfi Coast Lemon PGI, also known as Sfusato Amalfitano due to its characteristic tapered shape. The dessert consists of a sponge cake base filled and covered with lemon cream. Technically it was created by the Sorrento pastry chef Carmine Marzuillo in 1978 but then it was Sal De Riso, a well-known pastry chef from Minori, who made it famous. Even if you don’t like sweets, we recommend you try it.
