August 18, 2023 • 26 mins
Wondering what you can eat that's cheap and tasty on your trip to Italy? Street food is popular from Naples to Rome, Venice and beyond. You'll find lots of delicious morsels to eat on your travels that won't break the bank. From iconic pizza to cannoli, mozzarella balls and arancini, there's a tasty street food snack to tempt everyone. So make sure to take a break from dining in restaurants and cafes to try some favorite fast food bites in Italy.
Read the full episode show notes here > untolditaly.com/187
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The Untold Italy travel podcast is an independent production. Podcast Editing, Audio Production and Website Development by Mark Hatter. Production Assistance and Content Writing by the other Katie Clarke - yes there are two of us!
Read the full episode show notes here > untolditaly.com/187
Support the show
Join our mailing list and get our FREE Italy trip planning checklist - subscribe here | Join us on tour: Trip schedule | Discover our Trip Planning Services | Visit our online store | Follow: Instagram • Facebook • YouTube • Italy Travel Planning Community
The Untold Italy travel podcast is an independent production. Podcast Editing, Audio Production and Website Development by Mark Hatter. Production Assistance and Content Writing by the other Katie Clarke - yes there are two of us!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
This is the Untold Italy Travel podcastand you're listening to episode number one hundred
and eighty seven Chawatuti and ben Venutito one Told Italy the travel podcast to
where you go to the townsend,villages, mountains, the lakes, hills
(00:21):
and coast lines of bell Italia.Each week, your host Katie Clark takes
you on a journey in a searchof magical landscapes, history, culture,
wine, gelato, and of coursea whole lot of pasta. If you're
dreaming of Italy and planning future adventuresthere, you've come to the right place.
(00:51):
Chow chow one. Do you knoweveryone who is feeling a little hungry
today? Well, if you're notalready prepared to be famished after we've finished
with this culinary journey of Italian streetfood from north to south, then I
suggest you get yourself ready. Streetfood is one of the best ways to
really sink your teeth into the localculture sorry pun intended, wherever you go,
(01:15):
and especially in Italy, where thelocals develop their own traditions and snacks
based on what produce is available andgenerally speaking, how workers could quickly fuel
up on the go Compared to restaurantdining. It's cheap and fast, but
it's also super tasty and we'll keepyou energized for hours while you continue your
adventures in Italy. This is theoriginal fast food. But let's not compare
(01:42):
what they are serving up with ourmass produced fare. Make no mistake,
a lot of care and attention,plus great ingredients go into making street food
in Italy. So today I'm goingto tell you about some favorites and where
you can find them. It's byno means and exhaust list, but you
could actually make a whole Italian streetfood itinery from these suggestions, and if
(02:07):
you do, I'd love you totell me about it. Okay, So,
of course we have to start withthe original street food beloved the world
over, which is naturally pizza.Naples is the undisputed home of pizza.
But I'm here to tell you thatyou'll find different varieties up and down the
country, so why not compare andcontrast the different styles of pizza wherever you
(02:30):
go. Of course, we'll startwith a classic, and that's Pizza Napolitana.
Now, if we were writing arule that simplicity is the best,
then surely pizza Napolitana would be theprime example. Just a handful of ingredients
go into making this iconic Italian streetfood, so they must be the very
(02:50):
best versions of those ingredients. Flower, yeast, salt and water. Make
the dough, which is allowed torest sometimes for days, before its top
with crushed sand, mazzano tomatoes,mozzarella, cheese, basil, and extra
virgin olive oil. It's then cookedin a very hot wood fired oven for
around ninety seconds. Add a popspiping hot dough puffed up and cheese melted
(03:15):
and incredibly delicious. So delicious infact, that in an attempt to recreate
this magic, it's said that restaurantsin New York City have imported not just
the flower, but even the waterfrom Naples to try and replicate Pizza napolitana
to no avail. If you wantto learn more about this Neapolitan pizza,
(03:36):
we did a deep dive with myfriend Pio Paolo, who says he eats
about five a week on episode seventythree, and I think maybe if you're
wondering whether this is true street food, because a lot of times you're going
to see people sitting down and eatingtheir pizza with a knife and fork you
can actually and what people tend todo is they've folded up and they shove
(03:58):
it in their mouth and eat it. And you know what, it's delicious.
Whichever way you're eating it, fancyor not, you're going to love
pizzaa politana and it's definitely worthwhile headingdown to Naples just to do a pizza
tour, and in fact we doknow some friends that have just started one,
so I'll put that into the shownotes as well. The next type
of pizza you'll find when you're hiton up to Rome, and that's a
(04:23):
completely different style of pizza with amuch thinner crust and it's usually cooked in
an electric oven, and that's pizzaatalio. It's sold by the slice,
which is basically a direct translation ofatalio, and it's usually cut up with
scissors. What you do is yougesture to the server how much you would
like and they'll wrap it up foryou. In Rome, you'll find different
(04:45):
toppings too, like a pizza biancaor white pizza made simply with salt and
olive oil. And if you're stayingnear Campo di Fiori in Rome, you
can try this at the four noOr bakery in the western corner of the
piazza, and I had it lasttime so delicious. I just arrived and
I had a bit of the muncheeseas you do, and I've been for
a walk and I just was like, I just wanted something really simple and
(05:10):
yeah, I just headed to thefauna and got myself a slice and it
was delicious. The next type ofpizza I want to talk to you about
is another more modern take on pizza, and I found out about it from
our friend Nazim, who you've heardon previous episodes about Roman cuisine, and
it's called the trapezzino or stuffed pizza, and really it's a meal unto itself.
(05:34):
It is a pizza stuffed. It'slike a pocket of pizza stuffed with
fillings in such as eggplant, parmesanapet there which are meatballs, chicken catch,
a torde and more. And theydo like to do seasonal flavors as
well, and you'll often find offulbased ones too, which is very popular
(05:55):
in Rome. But if you're notkeen on that, you need to check
the ingredients first. Actually, it'stotally delicious and that will tide you over
for a few good hours. Actually, it's a very hearty meal in itself,
just being a pocket of pizza witha few things inside. In Sicily,
pizza is also called spintourne and theversion from Palermo is rectangular with a
(06:18):
thick crust, and it's usually toppedwith tomatoes, onions, herbs and anchovies,
as well as a strong local cheeselike Toma. Of course, you'll
find pizza up and down the countrywith different toppings and techniques. I love
a pizza bianca with shaved shuffles,which you'll find in the middle to the
north of Italy. It's delicious,yum. We could probably devote a whole
(06:40):
episode to different pizza varieties, andno doubt we will one day. So
I'm going to move on to somestreet food snacks that Italians love. Fried
foods, but I'm talking about chipsor French fries here. Oh no.
The frying brings out the flavor andadds texture to ingredients that are varied and
(07:00):
delicious. So in Italy it's calledthe fried. They just love it and
they call everything, oh, We'regoing to get some fried and it's fret
deep. And I think you knowwe have in our countries. Maybe fried
food has had a bit of abad rap, but Italians love it and
it's part of a very diet andthey're not always eating fried foods all the
(07:21):
time, but when they do,they make sure it's super delicious. So
the first fried food that I wantto talk to you about is called olive
escolana and these are green olives,big green olives stuffed with meat. They've
had their pips removed and then theystuffed with meat. They're coated in bread
crumbs and fried. Usually served ata petivo. They are the perfect foil
(07:43):
to an eating tipple, may itbe an april spitz or a glass of
wine. And these tasty morsels arefrom the town of Asclipicicerno in the region
of Le Marque. But you canimagine my excitement when I found them here
in Australia. Not quite the samebut still pretty delicious. Fritto misto is
mixed fried. The direct translation isand it will could be fish, calamari,
(08:09):
zucchini flowers or little doughballs. There'snothing like grabbing a cone or fried
treats too much from roadstide stall orby the beach. I've noticed that the
fried van is found at locations upand down Italy, at the fish markets
in Naples and the street markets inthe northern region of Lombardy. You can
also find Valletti debuccala in Rome,and that's fried fish in filets of fish,
(08:35):
of codfish, and sorry English listeners, it's actually a lot more tasty
than your average battered bish that you'llfind in the UK. So we do
fish and chips. Here are twoin Australia, and actually the Letti debaccala
is actually I think more delicious thanthat too. And then of course there's
Galiozzi and that's fried polenta, whichis a little bit like a hot fried
(09:01):
potato chip. This one's from Pulia, and there's something so Moorish about the
crunchy crust and creamy center that keepsyou coming back for more. Of course,
all of this has got a nicehealthy dose of salt on top,
and if you're a bit of asalt beans like I am, it's manner
from heaven. Really. In Amelia, the Amelia region, they like nyokofritto
(09:22):
and that's fried dough that's served withthe rich cured meats of the region.
I love the crunch from these nyokofritothat pair perfectly with a creamy texture of
the meat. It's such a deliciouscombination. And last but not least,
you might not be surprised to learnthat pizza is also fried pizza frit there
(09:43):
pizza dough round stuffed with tomato andmozzarella cheese cooked in the fryer. It's
all seriously good stuff and difficult toresist if you spot these vried foods on
your travels. They are quite rich, so you know, just grab a
cone and share it your fried goosewith your friends or your family. Weight
regret it. It's absolutely delicious andsomething I definitely recommend that you try.
(10:05):
So now we're going to talk aboutthe savory pastries and bread so you can
find across Italy in various forms.These are usually sold from a fauna or
bakery, and there are so manydifferent varieties to choose from across Italy's regions,
but we'll mention just a few ofthem here. So in Pulia you
can find a pastry that's called Rusticaland it's made with flaky puff pastry and
(10:30):
filled with tomato and creamy bechamel sauce. I tried this in Letche and it
was amazing and quite different from theother varieties of pastry and bread in Italy.
There's almost French actually, but obviouslymuch better. Sorry French people,
I'm going to start a European warhere with my food comparisons, but I'll
be more careful going forward. Inbeautiful Liguria, which is the northern coastal
(10:58):
area on the west coast of Italy, they are known for the wonderful use
of chickpeas and they make fatina chickpeaflower pancakes which are the ultimate expression of
respect for these beautiful chick pea flowerand it's flavored with onion and rosemary.
And of course we include tasting fatinatastraight from the oven in our food and
Wine tour of Liguria, as it'sso delicious and so different, it's not
(11:22):
something you'll find anywhere else in Italynow, as well as for carcha,
again straight out of the oven.This amazing flat bread is something to behold,
whether you like the Ligurian style whichis served with olive oil and salt,
furry simple or the equally delicious Budsstyle from Poulia with tomato and olives.
(11:43):
We did have some life changing forCarchame Poulia, and we have included
that stopping our Poulia tour because it'sabsolutely delicious and it's one of those things
you just have to try and dreamabout for a long time because you're not
going to find find it anywhere else. Now, heading back to the central
(12:03):
Italian region of a Milia, keepa nite out for tiget le and which
is a traditional disc shaped bread that'smade in special clay molds and it's served
with a spread made with parmesana,reggiano cheese and other delicious flavors. The
lucky guests on our Beyond Bologna toolearn how to make this bread and hear
the stories of its past on ourtour of the region, and it's one
(12:24):
of the highlights actually the people reallyenjoy when they visit the region. It's
not something that you can really organizein advance. We've got a special relationship
with some people there that know howto make this beautiful bread and to tell
the stories of why it's important tothe people of the region. Now,
(12:46):
something that is a easy to accessis in Milan and there's a famous shop
that's just around the corner from Dormalcalled Luini that sells panzaalotti, or small
pastry pockets filled with various things likecheese, salami, tomato, and even
natella. Originally from Pulia, thesetasty treats are a great refueling option in
Milano. I'm just warning you thatyou'll probably regret buying just one, so
(13:09):
load up when you're there. It'sreally good and it's a great cheap and
tasty snack in a city that canbe a little bit pricey for food.
Lastly, in Umbria they enjoy cressure, which is a flatbread perfect for stuffing
with cured meats and cheeses, butit's also very tasty on its own.
We had some very delicious cressure whenwe were in Gubia last year, and
(13:33):
I can highly recommend that it's avery different style of bread than the ficacha,
and you know it's good to mixit up a bit on occasion.
I reckon now in case you werethinking that there's a whole lot of carb
action happening here, and you wouldn'tbe wrong. Those foods were traditionally created
to feed hungry workers cheaply. However, there are also protein based foods that
(13:54):
you might like to try. Let'shead to a brutzo with the street snack
of choice is our stitchanie or barbecuecubes of skwa meat usually lamb or mutton,
dressed with some salt and olive oil. Absolutely delicious. Just further south
in Poulia, you can find bombaitthere, which are rolls of capricolo or
(14:15):
pork neck dressed with salt, pepper, rosemary, parsley and cheese and it's
cooked on a spit. And wefirst tried these at a restaurant that we
now visit on our Polia tour andwe were so thrilled with a favor bomb
that met our taste buds. Theyare absolutely amazing. We can highly highly
recommend the bomb bat there. Alsoin Pulia, crudeo or fresh seafood straight
(14:39):
from the water is another tasty streetsnack. I'm still reeling at the cost,
which is so cheap of the seaurchins that are split into twos so
you can scoop the flesh out andeat with a squeeze of lemon or just
naturally. These would sell for absolutelyexorbitant prices anywhere in the world, but
here you can try them, butjust one euro for you cheese lovers,
(15:03):
you can stop by little stores inNaples for tiny bowls of the best mozzarella
you've ever tasted, drizzled with oliveoil and with a few juicy small tomatoes
for color and flavor. That waswhere we did coin the phrase life changing
cheese, and it wasn't an exaggeration. We had a few bites to eat
because we'd been on a food tour. My friend and I didn't stop and
(15:26):
go, wow, this is amazing. You can get protein based street snacks
wherever you go. And another onein winter and in autumn is roasted chestnuts
Castagnia and they're everywhere throughout Italy andby the side of the raiding you can
smell them and taste the beautiful,juicy flesh and sometimes with a sprinkle of
(15:48):
salt. It's absolutely delicious. Soin case you were thinking everything is a
carved fest in Italy, you candefinitely find things that are not one hundred
percent based around rice and flower basedthings. Now, in case you're hankering
to combine your carbs and proteins,a sandwich is obviously the answer. Have
(16:11):
you seen the huge sandwiches at ourantikove and Io This Florentine store is taking
Instagram and Florence in our room bystorm. Personally, I don't line up
for half an hour for any sandwich, but if you want to go ahead,
please do. But I'm also goingto give you some alternatives that are
just as good, perhaps better.Anywhere you go where there's a smaller amount
(16:37):
of food made that's made to order, it's probably going to be tastier,
I think, because more care andattention goes into it. In that place,
they're making a lot of sandwiches aday, and a huge Please if
you're going there, give an eyeon people coming out of the store and
see how big the sandwiches are,because you probably can have one between four
I think anyway. Lamp Dottor isa additional sandwich of Florence, and it's
(17:02):
the inspiration for the aforementioned sandwich store. Served in a panino, it's a
type of bread roll. It's filledwith meat which is actually now bear with
me here. It's the fourth andfinal stomach of the cow. So it's
intestines that has been slow cooked withtomato, onion, parsley, and celery
until it is super supertender. It'sput into the roll or the panino and
(17:25):
it's topped with a zinny salsa verdegreen sauce. And you'll find this installs
throughout Florence in the city center andit's a delicious treat. You can also
go to the San Lorenzo Market andyou'll find it there too. I went
with my friend Tony from Taste Florencein one of her twos and she actually
knows how to navigate the lampredotto andyou can actually choose ones that aren't the
(17:51):
intestines. If that's making you feela little wheezy, but yeah, they
definitely try something like that. Thisgreen sauce just elevates the sandwich to a
whole other level. I totally recommendit now. Piadina is a flatbread of
the Romanya region that's filled with meatsand cheeses, and this one is perfect
if you prefer you're filling to breadratio to be weighted to the side of
(18:12):
the fillings, because the piadina breadis very very flat. Not to be
outdone in the filling steaks, you'llwant to go to Umbria for your porkketa
panino. This is perhaps the ultimatesandwich Italian style. According to my husband.
It's a role that's filled with juicy, slow cooked rose pork stuffed with
(18:33):
herbs and it's absolutely, absolutely delicious. You can also find this sandwich in
Rome, so look out for it. There are a few paces around the
company if you're a market in thecenter and just in random spots. Probably
worth doing a bit of research ifyou want to grab a porketta pennino.
Before we move on to some sweetitems, I wanted to let you know
(18:56):
about some rice snap so most peoplemay have heard of alancini, which are
a staple of Sicilian street food.They're made with cooked rice and stuffed with
meat, peas, and cheese,then rolled in bread crumbs and fried for
a delicious afternoon treat. In Rome, supli are similar. However, they're
(19:18):
a bit smaller, and they're sortof longer, and they're generally only filled
with mozzarella cheese, which oozes outwhen you buy into them or break them
into. You'll find soupli all overRome and often in pizza places for the
ultimate pretty pizza snack. Of course, we don't need just to talk about
savory street food snacks in Italy.The Italians have a sweet tooth like no
(19:42):
other. And so you can definitelyfind street food desserts on the go.
And the first one I'm going totell you about needs no introduction, really
is cannoli, and it's perhaps Sicily'sbest known dish or sweet treat. And
these tubes of crunchy paste story arefilled with freshly whipped to acotta. And
(20:03):
let me tell you, you'll neverever be able to eat a canolo at
home again after you've chomped into aproper Sicilian one. You won't find a
Sicilian canolo prefield. Oh no,that would make the pastry soggy. Which
the combination of the crunch and thecream is the whole thing. So what's
required here to get that perfect crunchto cream ratio and that oh my god
(20:26):
moment when the combination hits your tastebuds, is that you need to have
that cream, the cotta cream freshlypiped and maybe a little dipped in chocolate
chip, so a little bit ofcandied orange peel. A lot of people
visit Sicily just to try a canoli, and I really don't blame them,
Dare I say it? This weekdone properly is life changing. Now across
(20:51):
the terranean sea. In Naples.They also have a penchant for sweet treats
thanks to the ruling Bourbon dynasty inthe eighteenth century and their queen Maria Carolina,
sister of Mary and Twinette. I'velet them eat cake fame, although
it has to be said Maria Carolinawas a lot more savvy than her sister,
but we digress. Thanks to thisinternational influence and the bringing of Austrian
(21:15):
and French pastries to Naples, thereare a plethora of sweet treats to try
in the city. Probably the mostfamous are the spot which are flaky layers
of pastry cooked until crunchy and thenfilled with cream or a cotta. In
the United States sometimes they call themlobsters, but it kind of doesn't resemble
(21:37):
the deliciousness that you will find inNaples. Another popular treat that is easy
to take away and eat on thestreet is a rhombaba. These are small
use cake drenched in syrup and typicallyrum, and they are well that's a
definite pick me up if you're flaggingin the late afternoon, Just grab your
(21:59):
roombabba and off you go. Theydon't sit still in Naples. They love
to create more modern creations and onethat we tried last year was called fioco
di neve and it's snowflakes in English, and their little doughballs filled with cream
and dusted with sugar, and youcan find those at Pasticheia Popela in the
city's Santa district. They have traditionalsweets there too, so it's a really
(22:22):
great place to go and check outjust the array of sweets that are on
offer in Napoli, and that one'sjust near the galleria and the big piazza
there, so it's an easy oneto find. Now over to the east,
in Pulia, the treat of choiceis known as pasti choptor. It's
a short crust pastry filled with custardand jam and it's often eaten for breakfast
(22:45):
and it's best served just warm outof the oven. You can imagine it's
pretty delicious. And speaking of breakfast, Italians love a sweet breakfast and in
Rome the thing to eat is maritozzo. This is a bun filled with cream
to order. It's a decadent streetfood for sure. And I'd like to
(23:06):
let you know about a lovely pastichettiaright near Piazza Avana called Pastichetti, where
they prepare your maditotsi and wrap thembeautifully in gorgeous colored tray and red paper,
and it's all wrapped up, andit does seem a shame to unravel
that decoration. But then you takea bite of the bun and oh my
(23:26):
goodness, it's pretty special, Irecommend, which brings us to the last
street food I'll mention, and it'sperhaps the one to rule them all,
and that's gelato made to be eatenon the go. Gelato is for strolling
along the street in the piazza,taking your time and enjoying the flavors.
Whether you like creamy or fruity gelato, it's best to enjoy one a day
(23:49):
in Italy for the ultimate cultural andstreet food experience. We did a whole
episode on gelato, episode one,five seven, explaining where to find the
best and our favorite spots. Buthere's a community service announcement. If the
gelato is piled high, sporting colorsthat do not represent anything natural, you
(24:11):
should avoid it and find a placethat stores their deliciously melty gelato in tubs.
Okay, there you have it.Our guide to Italian street foods and
definitely not an exhaustive list. Streetfoods are great on the go option,
and you can keep those energy levelsup as you enjoy your adventures in Italy.
A really great way to discover moredelicious dishes like this and places to
(24:34):
eat is on a food tour,so make sure you do at least one
when you're in Italy, and you'llbe munching your way around Italian food heaven
the whole trip. We know someof the names we mentioned in the podcast
are tricky, so of course theyare in our episode show notes on our
website at untold Italy dot com forwardslash one eighty seven for episode one eighty
(24:56):
seven. Here you'll find the shownotes for each and every so as well
as hundreds of useful articles to helpyou plan your Italian trips, from accommodation
guides, to read you in information, and things to do. We're building
Untold Italy into a one stop destinationfor all your Italy travel plans. Grant
Simili, we'd like to thank youall for your support of Untold Italy and
(25:18):
your enthusiastic messages and reviews. Itmeans the world to us that so many
people from countries around the world tunein each and every week. To listen
to the show. If you doenjoy it, it would be incredible if
you took a few moments to writea quick review or give us a rating
on your favorite podcast app. GrantSimilia in advance. We appreciate you.
(25:40):
That's all for today. On nextweek's episode, we're bringing on the late
summer vibes with podcast favorite Karinaicook returningto share her beachy Italian dreams. But
until then, it's chow for now. The Untold Italy podcast is an independent
production podcast editing audio production and website development by Mark Hatter, production assistance
(26:02):
and content writing by the other ktClark. Yes there are two of us.
For more information about Untold Italy,please visit Untold Italy dot com.
This is the Untold Italy Travel podcastand you're listening to episode number one hundred
and eighty seven Chawatuti and ben Venutito one Told Italy the travel podcast to
where you go to the townsend,villages, mountains, the lakes, hills
(00:21):
and coast lines of bell Italia.Each week, your host Katie Clark takes
you on a journey in a searchof magical landscapes, history, culture,
wine, gelato, and of coursea whole lot of pasta. If you're
dreaming of Italy and planning future adventuresthere, you've come to the right place.
(00:51):
Chow chow one. Do you knoweveryone who is feeling a little hungry
today? Well, if you're notalready prepared to be famished after we've finished
with this culinary journey of Italian streetfood from north to south, then I
suggest you get yourself ready. Streetfood is one of the best ways to
really sink your teeth into the localculture sorry pun intended, wherever you go,
(01:15):
and especially in Italy, where thelocals develop their own traditions and snacks
based on what produce is available andgenerally speaking, how workers could quickly fuel
up on the go Compared to restaurantdining. It's cheap and fast, but
it's also super tasty and we'll keepyou energized for hours while you continue your
adventures in Italy. This is theoriginal fast food. But let's not compare
(01:42):
what they are serving up with ourmass produced fare. Make no mistake,
a lot of care and attention,plus great ingredients go into making street food
in Italy. So today I'm goingto tell you about some favorites and where
you can find them. It's byno means and exhaust list, but you
could actually make a whole Italian streetfood itinery from these suggestions, and if
(02:07):
you do, I'd love you totell me about it. Okay, So,
of course we have to start withthe original street food beloved the world
over, which is naturally pizza.Naples is the undisputed home of pizza.
But I'm here to tell you thatyou'll find different varieties up and down the
country, so why not compare andcontrast the different styles of pizza wherever you
(02:30):
go. Of course, we'll startwith a classic, and that's Pizza Napolitana.
Now, if we were writing arule that simplicity is the best,
then surely pizza Napolitana would be theprime example. Just a handful of ingredients
go into making this iconic Italian streetfood, so they must be the very
(02:50):
best versions of those ingredients. Flower, yeast, salt and water. Make
the dough, which is allowed torest sometimes for days, before its top
with crushed sand, mazzano tomatoes,mozzarella, cheese, basil, and extra
virgin olive oil. It's then cookedin a very hot wood fired oven for
around ninety seconds. Add a popspiping hot dough puffed up and cheese melted
(03:15):
and incredibly delicious. So delicious infact, that in an attempt to recreate
this magic, it's said that restaurantsin New York City have imported not just
the flower, but even the waterfrom Naples to try and replicate Pizza napolitana
to no avail. If you wantto learn more about this Neapolitan pizza,
(03:36):
we did a deep dive with myfriend Pio Paolo, who says he eats
about five a week on episode seventythree, and I think maybe if you're
wondering whether this is true street food, because a lot of times you're going
to see people sitting down and eatingtheir pizza with a knife and fork you
can actually and what people tend todo is they've folded up and they shove
(03:58):
it in their mouth and eat it. And you know what, it's delicious.
Whichever way you're eating it, fancyor not, you're going to love
pizzaa politana and it's definitely worthwhile headingdown to Naples just to do a pizza
tour, and in fact we doknow some friends that have just started one,
so I'll put that into the shownotes as well. The next type
of pizza you'll find when you're hiton up to Rome, and that's a
(04:23):
completely different style of pizza with amuch thinner crust and it's usually cooked in
an electric oven, and that's pizzaatalio. It's sold by the slice,
which is basically a direct translation ofatalio, and it's usually cut up with
scissors. What you do is yougesture to the server how much you would
like and they'll wrap it up foryou. In Rome, you'll find different
(04:45):
toppings too, like a pizza biancaor white pizza made simply with salt and
olive oil. And if you're stayingnear Campo di Fiori in Rome, you
can try this at the four noOr bakery in the western corner of the
piazza, and I had it lasttime so delicious. I just arrived and
I had a bit of the muncheeseas you do, and I've been for
a walk and I just was like, I just wanted something really simple and
(05:10):
yeah, I just headed to thefauna and got myself a slice and it
was delicious. The next type ofpizza I want to talk to you about
is another more modern take on pizza, and I found out about it from
our friend Nazim, who you've heardon previous episodes about Roman cuisine, and
it's called the trapezzino or stuffed pizza, and really it's a meal unto itself.
(05:34):
It is a pizza stuffed. It'slike a pocket of pizza stuffed with
fillings in such as eggplant, parmesanapet there which are meatballs, chicken catch,
a torde and more. And theydo like to do seasonal flavors as
well, and you'll often find offulbased ones too, which is very popular
(05:55):
in Rome. But if you're notkeen on that, you need to check
the ingredients first. Actually, it'stotally delicious and that will tide you over
for a few good hours. Actually, it's a very hearty meal in itself,
just being a pocket of pizza witha few things inside. In Sicily,
pizza is also called spintourne and theversion from Palermo is rectangular with a
(06:18):
thick crust, and it's usually toppedwith tomatoes, onions, herbs and anchovies,
as well as a strong local cheeselike Toma. Of course, you'll
find pizza up and down the countrywith different toppings and techniques. I love
a pizza bianca with shaved shuffles,which you'll find in the middle to the
north of Italy. It's delicious,yum. We could probably devote a whole
(06:40):
episode to different pizza varieties, andno doubt we will one day. So
I'm going to move on to somestreet food snacks that Italians love. Fried
foods, but I'm talking about chipsor French fries here. Oh no.
The frying brings out the flavor andadds texture to ingredients that are varied and
(07:00):
delicious. So in Italy it's calledthe fried. They just love it and
they call everything, oh, We'regoing to get some fried and it's fret
deep. And I think you knowwe have in our countries. Maybe fried
food has had a bit of abad rap, but Italians love it and
it's part of a very diet andthey're not always eating fried foods all the
(07:21):
time, but when they do,they make sure it's super delicious. So
the first fried food that I wantto talk to you about is called olive
escolana and these are green olives,big green olives stuffed with meat. They've
had their pips removed and then theystuffed with meat. They're coated in bread
crumbs and fried. Usually served ata petivo. They are the perfect foil
(07:43):
to an eating tipple, may itbe an april spitz or a glass of
wine. And these tasty morsels arefrom the town of Asclipicicerno in the region
of Le Marque. But you canimagine my excitement when I found them here
in Australia. Not quite the samebut still pretty delicious. Fritto misto is
mixed fried. The direct translation isand it will could be fish, calamari,
(08:09):
zucchini flowers or little doughballs. There'snothing like grabbing a cone or fried
treats too much from roadstide stall orby the beach. I've noticed that the
fried van is found at locations upand down Italy, at the fish markets
in Naples and the street markets inthe northern region of Lombardy. You can
also find Valletti debuccala in Rome,and that's fried fish in filets of fish,
(08:35):
of codfish, and sorry English listeners, it's actually a lot more tasty
than your average battered bish that you'llfind in the UK. So we do
fish and chips. Here are twoin Australia, and actually the Letti debaccala
is actually I think more delicious thanthat too. And then of course there's
Galiozzi and that's fried polenta, whichis a little bit like a hot fried
(09:01):
potato chip. This one's from Pulia, and there's something so Moorish about the
crunchy crust and creamy center that keepsyou coming back for more. Of course,
all of this has got a nicehealthy dose of salt on top,
and if you're a bit of asalt beans like I am, it's manner
from heaven. Really. In Amelia, the Amelia region, they like nyokofritto
(09:22):
and that's fried dough that's served withthe rich cured meats of the region.
I love the crunch from these nyokofritothat pair perfectly with a creamy texture of
the meat. It's such a deliciouscombination. And last but not least,
you might not be surprised to learnthat pizza is also fried pizza frit there
(09:43):
pizza dough round stuffed with tomato andmozzarella cheese cooked in the fryer. It's
all seriously good stuff and difficult toresist if you spot these vried foods on
your travels. They are quite rich, so you know, just grab a
cone and share it your fried goosewith your friends or your family. Weight
regret it. It's absolutely delicious andsomething I definitely recommend that you try.
(10:05):
So now we're going to talk aboutthe savory pastries and bread so you can
find across Italy in various forms.These are usually sold from a fauna or
bakery, and there are so manydifferent varieties to choose from across Italy's regions,
but we'll mention just a few ofthem here. So in Pulia you
can find a pastry that's called Rusticaland it's made with flaky puff pastry and
(10:30):
filled with tomato and creamy bechamel sauce. I tried this in Letche and it
was amazing and quite different from theother varieties of pastry and bread in Italy.
There's almost French actually, but obviouslymuch better. Sorry French people,
I'm going to start a European warhere with my food comparisons, but I'll
be more careful going forward. Inbeautiful Liguria, which is the northern coastal
(10:58):
area on the west coast of Italy, they are known for the wonderful use
of chickpeas and they make fatina chickpeaflower pancakes which are the ultimate expression of
respect for these beautiful chick pea flowerand it's flavored with onion and rosemary.
And of course we include tasting fatinatastraight from the oven in our food and
Wine tour of Liguria, as it'sso delicious and so different, it's not
(11:22):
something you'll find anywhere else in Italynow, as well as for carcha,
again straight out of the oven.This amazing flat bread is something to behold,
whether you like the Ligurian style whichis served with olive oil and salt,
furry simple or the equally delicious Budsstyle from Poulia with tomato and olives.
(11:43):
We did have some life changing forCarchame Poulia, and we have included
that stopping our Poulia tour because it'sabsolutely delicious and it's one of those things
you just have to try and dreamabout for a long time because you're not
going to find find it anywhere else. Now, heading back to the central
(12:03):
Italian region of a Milia, keepa nite out for tiget le and which
is a traditional disc shaped bread that'smade in special clay molds and it's served
with a spread made with parmesana,reggiano cheese and other delicious flavors. The
lucky guests on our Beyond Bologna toolearn how to make this bread and hear
the stories of its past on ourtour of the region, and it's one
(12:24):
of the highlights actually the people reallyenjoy when they visit the region. It's
not something that you can really organizein advance. We've got a special relationship
with some people there that know howto make this beautiful bread and to tell
the stories of why it's important tothe people of the region. Now,
(12:46):
something that is a easy to accessis in Milan and there's a famous shop
that's just around the corner from Dormalcalled Luini that sells panzaalotti, or small
pastry pockets filled with various things likecheese, salami, tomato, and even
natella. Originally from Pulia, thesetasty treats are a great refueling option in
Milano. I'm just warning you thatyou'll probably regret buying just one, so
(13:09):
load up when you're there. It'sreally good and it's a great cheap and
tasty snack in a city that canbe a little bit pricey for food.
Lastly, in Umbria they enjoy cressure, which is a flatbread perfect for stuffing
with cured meats and cheeses, butit's also very tasty on its own.
We had some very delicious cressure whenwe were in Gubia last year, and
(13:33):
I can highly recommend that it's avery different style of bread than the ficacha,
and you know it's good to mixit up a bit on occasion.
I reckon now in case you werethinking that there's a whole lot of carb
action happening here, and you wouldn'tbe wrong. Those foods were traditionally created
to feed hungry workers cheaply. However, there are also protein based foods that
(13:54):
you might like to try. Let'shead to a brutzo with the street snack
of choice is our stitchanie or barbecuecubes of skwa meat usually lamb or mutton,
dressed with some salt and olive oil. Absolutely delicious. Just further south
in Poulia, you can find bombaitthere, which are rolls of capricolo or
(14:15):
pork neck dressed with salt, pepper, rosemary, parsley and cheese and it's
cooked on a spit. And wefirst tried these at a restaurant that we
now visit on our Polia tour andwe were so thrilled with a favor bomb
that met our taste buds. Theyare absolutely amazing. We can highly highly
recommend the bomb bat there. Alsoin Pulia, crudeo or fresh seafood straight
(14:39):
from the water is another tasty streetsnack. I'm still reeling at the cost,
which is so cheap of the seaurchins that are split into twos so
you can scoop the flesh out andeat with a squeeze of lemon or just
naturally. These would sell for absolutelyexorbitant prices anywhere in the world, but
here you can try them, butjust one euro for you cheese lovers,
(15:03):
you can stop by little stores inNaples for tiny bowls of the best mozzarella
you've ever tasted, drizzled with oliveoil and with a few juicy small tomatoes
for color and flavor. That waswhere we did coin the phrase life changing
cheese, and it wasn't an exaggeration. We had a few bites to eat
because we'd been on a food tour. My friend and I didn't stop and
(15:26):
go, wow, this is amazing. You can get protein based street snacks
wherever you go. And another onein winter and in autumn is roasted chestnuts
Castagnia and they're everywhere throughout Italy andby the side of the raiding you can
smell them and taste the beautiful,juicy flesh and sometimes with a sprinkle of
(15:48):
salt. It's absolutely delicious. Soin case you were thinking everything is a
carved fest in Italy, you candefinitely find things that are not one hundred
percent based around rice and flower basedthings. Now, in case you're hankering
to combine your carbs and proteins,a sandwich is obviously the answer. Have
(16:11):
you seen the huge sandwiches at ourantikove and Io This Florentine store is taking
Instagram and Florence in our room bystorm. Personally, I don't line up
for half an hour for any sandwich, but if you want to go ahead,
please do. But I'm also goingto give you some alternatives that are
just as good, perhaps better.Anywhere you go where there's a smaller amount
(16:37):
of food made that's made to order, it's probably going to be tastier,
I think, because more care andattention goes into it. In that place,
they're making a lot of sandwiches aday, and a huge Please if
you're going there, give an eyeon people coming out of the store and
see how big the sandwiches are,because you probably can have one between four
I think anyway. Lamp Dottor isa additional sandwich of Florence, and it's
(17:02):
the inspiration for the aforementioned sandwich store. Served in a panino, it's a
type of bread roll. It's filledwith meat which is actually now bear with
me here. It's the fourth andfinal stomach of the cow. So it's
intestines that has been slow cooked withtomato, onion, parsley, and celery
until it is super supertender. It'sput into the roll or the panino and
(17:25):
it's topped with a zinny salsa verdegreen sauce. And you'll find this installs
throughout Florence in the city center andit's a delicious treat. You can also
go to the San Lorenzo Market andyou'll find it there too. I went
with my friend Tony from Taste Florencein one of her twos and she actually
knows how to navigate the lampredotto andyou can actually choose ones that aren't the
(17:51):
intestines. If that's making you feela little wheezy, but yeah, they
definitely try something like that. Thisgreen sauce just elevates the sandwich to a
whole other level. I totally recommendit now. Piadina is a flatbread of
the Romanya region that's filled with meatsand cheeses, and this one is perfect
if you prefer you're filling to breadratio to be weighted to the side of
(18:12):
the fillings, because the piadina breadis very very flat. Not to be
outdone in the filling steaks, you'llwant to go to Umbria for your porkketa
panino. This is perhaps the ultimatesandwich Italian style. According to my husband.
It's a role that's filled with juicy, slow cooked rose pork stuffed with
(18:33):
herbs and it's absolutely, absolutely delicious. You can also find this sandwich in
Rome, so look out for it. There are a few paces around the
company if you're a market in thecenter and just in random spots. Probably
worth doing a bit of research ifyou want to grab a porketta pennino.
Before we move on to some sweetitems, I wanted to let you know
(18:56):
about some rice snap so most peoplemay have heard of alancini, which are
a staple of Sicilian street food.They're made with cooked rice and stuffed with
meat, peas, and cheese,then rolled in bread crumbs and fried for
a delicious afternoon treat. In Rome, supli are similar. However, they're
(19:18):
a bit smaller, and they're sortof longer, and they're generally only filled
with mozzarella cheese, which oozes outwhen you buy into them or break them
into. You'll find soupli all overRome and often in pizza places for the
ultimate pretty pizza snack. Of course, we don't need just to talk about
savory street food snacks in Italy.The Italians have a sweet tooth like no
(19:42):
other. And so you can definitelyfind street food desserts on the go.
And the first one I'm going totell you about needs no introduction, really
is cannoli, and it's perhaps Sicily'sbest known dish or sweet treat. And
these tubes of crunchy paste story arefilled with freshly whipped to acotta. And
(20:03):
let me tell you, you'll neverever be able to eat a canolo at
home again after you've chomped into aproper Sicilian one. You won't find a
Sicilian canolo prefield. Oh no,that would make the pastry soggy. Which
the combination of the crunch and thecream is the whole thing. So what's
required here to get that perfect crunchto cream ratio and that oh my god
(20:26):
moment when the combination hits your tastebuds, is that you need to have
that cream, the cotta cream freshlypiped and maybe a little dipped in chocolate
chip, so a little bit ofcandied orange peel. A lot of people
visit Sicily just to try a canoli, and I really don't blame them,
Dare I say it? This weekdone properly is life changing. Now across
(20:51):
the terranean sea. In Naples.They also have a penchant for sweet treats
thanks to the ruling Bourbon dynasty inthe eighteenth century and their queen Maria Carolina,
sister of Mary and Twinette. I'velet them eat cake fame, although
it has to be said Maria Carolinawas a lot more savvy than her sister,
but we digress. Thanks to thisinternational influence and the bringing of Austrian
(21:15):
and French pastries to Naples, thereare a plethora of sweet treats to try
in the city. Probably the mostfamous are the spot which are flaky layers
of pastry cooked until crunchy and thenfilled with cream or a cotta. In
the United States sometimes they call themlobsters, but it kind of doesn't resemble
(21:37):
the deliciousness that you will find inNaples. Another popular treat that is easy
to take away and eat on thestreet is a rhombaba. These are small
use cake drenched in syrup and typicallyrum, and they are well that's a
definite pick me up if you're flaggingin the late afternoon, Just grab your
(21:59):
roombabba and off you go. Theydon't sit still in Naples. They love
to create more modern creations and onethat we tried last year was called fioco
di neve and it's snowflakes in English, and their little doughballs filled with cream
and dusted with sugar, and youcan find those at Pasticheia Popela in the
city's Santa district. They have traditionalsweets there too, so it's a really
(22:22):
great place to go and check outjust the array of sweets that are on
offer in Napoli, and that one'sjust near the galleria and the big piazza
there, so it's an easy oneto find. Now over to the east,
in Pulia, the treat of choiceis known as pasti choptor. It's
a short crust pastry filled with custardand jam and it's often eaten for breakfast
(22:45):
and it's best served just warm outof the oven. You can imagine it's
pretty delicious. And speaking of breakfast, Italians love a sweet breakfast and in
Rome the thing to eat is maritozzo. This is a bun filled with cream
to order. It's a decadent streetfood for sure. And I'd like to
(23:06):
let you know about a lovely pastichettiaright near Piazza Avana called Pastichetti, where
they prepare your maditotsi and wrap thembeautifully in gorgeous colored tray and red paper,
and it's all wrapped up, andit does seem a shame to unravel
that decoration. But then you takea bite of the bun and oh my
(23:26):
goodness, it's pretty special, Irecommend, which brings us to the last
street food I'll mention, and it'sperhaps the one to rule them all,
and that's gelato made to be eatenon the go. Gelato is for strolling
along the street in the piazza,taking your time and enjoying the flavors.
Whether you like creamy or fruity gelato, it's best to enjoy one a day
(23:49):
in Italy for the ultimate cultural andstreet food experience. We did a whole
episode on gelato, episode one,five seven, explaining where to find the
best and our favorite spots. Buthere's a community service announcement. If the
gelato is piled high, sporting colorsthat do not represent anything natural, you
(24:11):
should avoid it and find a placethat stores their deliciously melty gelato in tubs.
Okay, there you have it.Our guide to Italian street foods and
definitely not an exhaustive list. Streetfoods are great on the go option,
and you can keep those energy levelsup as you enjoy your adventures in Italy.
A really great way to discover moredelicious dishes like this and places to
(24:34):
eat is on a food tour,so make sure you do at least one
when you're in Italy, and you'llbe munching your way around Italian food heaven
the whole trip. We know someof the names we mentioned in the podcast
are tricky, so of course theyare in our episode show notes on our
website at untold Italy dot com forwardslash one eighty seven for episode one eighty
(24:56):
seven. Here you'll find the shownotes for each and every so as well
as hundreds of useful articles to helpyou plan your Italian trips, from accommodation
guides, to read you in information, and things to do. We're building
Untold Italy into a one stop destinationfor all your Italy travel plans. Grant
Simili, we'd like to thank youall for your support of Untold Italy and
(25:18):
your enthusiastic messages and reviews. Itmeans the world to us that so many
people from countries around the world tunein each and every week. To listen
to the show. If you doenjoy it, it would be incredible if
you took a few moments to writea quick review or give us a rating
on your favorite podcast app. GrantSimilia in advance. We appreciate you.
(25:40):
That's all for today. On nextweek's episode, we're bringing on the late
summer vibes with podcast favorite Karinaicook returningto share her beachy Italian dreams. But
until then, it's chow for now. The Untold Italy podcast is an independent
production podcast editing audio production and website development by Mark Hatter, production assistance
(26:02):
and content writing by the other ktClark. Yes there are two of us.
For more information about Untold Italy,please visit Untold Italy dot com.
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