Food and Drink

Food

Unlike the complexity of Naples, the cooking in the countryside of Campania is delightfully simple and prepared without fuss. Fresh fish and seafood (such as octopus, mussels and baby clams) from the Gulf of Naples, tomatoes and other vegetables grown in the fertile soil of this volcanic region, the famous and aromatic buffalo mozzarella cheese, and of course, pizza and pasta (especially spaghetti), are the specialities of this region. Friendly, fast, and far from bland, Campanian cooking reflects the good humour and joy of life of it's inhabitants.

Stella has 3 supermarkets and on Tuesday and Friday mornings a small van parks in the square and the driver sells fresh fish. On Monday mornings (from about 9 to 10.30) and Thursday afternoons (13.30 to 14.30) Asunta drives in with her truck and sells fresh local vegetables and fruit on the square. Stella has a number of cherry trees that produce the famous white cherries. Look out for these in June.


Restaurants near VerdeRosso

There are many restaurants and bars in the area of VerdeRosso. La Tana della Volpe, or the Lair of the Fox, is a simple bar a few metres from VerdeRosso. Caffe De Parco´s owner trained in Milan and makes an exceptional cappucino - a great way to start the day. Both Caffe De Parco and La Tana della Volpe make pizza to take home or eat in (prices about Euro 3.50). Licia, the manageress of VerdeRosso also makes delicious meals for delivery or cooked at home in your kitchen at Verde or Rosso. Meals are also available on arrival if you don´t feel like cooking or searching for a restaurant on your first day. Arrival meals consist of a fresh pasta dish with mozarella and meat, seasonal salad, bread, wine and water (a non-meat version is also available). Costs are Euro 12 per person.

On Saturday nights and most evenings during the summer months, Cosentina, a couple of kilometres from Verderosso and half way down the hill, is open for dinner and dancing. The food is simple and inexpensive and the ambiance is warm, with locals of all ages participating in local traditional dancing.

About 3 km away is the Agriturismo I Fornari which serves set meals at 8pm made from local products. Call + 39.0974.90.92.04 to reserve a table. 5 Kilometres from Verderosso at the bottom of the hill, is the Cerry Pub (pronounced cherry) run by Louisa and Evan. Good, inexpensive food is served with local wine made by Louisa´s uncle. The vegetarian starters are particularly delicious. For the more intrepid, watch out for their pole-dancing evenings in winter!

Ristorante Le Giare in Via Alento in Bivio Acquavella, is one of more upmarket restaurants in the area. About 15 km from VerdeRosso, this restaurant serves delicious food at still very reasonable prices Starters about Euro 7.50, main dishes Euro 8.00 and a 3-course meals for two with wine costs about Euro 45.

For a romantic and charming restaurant, try La Lucciola (The Firefly), a fish restaurant in Ascea, about 20 km from VerdeRosso. In warm weather you can book a table on the beach and watch fishermen, swimmers and joggers while you eat under the stars. For reservations call 0974 972751 and specify if you want your table on the spiaggia.

A very popular restaurant in Omignano (about 7 km from VerdeRosso) is Al Pavone (via Nazionale, 162). Expect steaks of 700 grams for Euro 7. For an unusual ice-cream experience, try Isola Verde gelateria in Casa Velino which serves ice-cream in the shape of pasta.



Specialty Foods of Campania

As with most countryside Italian food, meals are good but inexpensive, with chefs relying heavily on local produce. A typical dish of this region are peppers in oil or pepper paste with bread as a starter. Similar to the Indonesian Sambal, though much milder in taste, this dish is widely enjoyed in Stella. Unusual pale cherries are a speciliaty of this area, as are flowers of squash. The local broccoli has little of the symetary and paleness of the standard EU broccoli and is also much tastier.

Mozzarella di bufala Campania, or buffalo mozzarella, is the most celebrated and prized of mozzarella cheeses, made exclusively from whole buffalo milk. A cheese of very ancient origin, mozzarella takes its name from a very special part of the production cycle, when the curd, after being stretched, is mozzata (an Italian term meaning “lopped off”) to obtain pieces of a suitable size. Italian buffalo have always been concentrated in the Southern region of Campania; most of the herds are in the province of Caserta. The mozzarella production chain is so inextricably tied to this area that buffalo mozzarella of the Campania region obtained the DOP (Denominazione dOrigine Protetta -Protected Designation of Origin) mark in 1996, guaranteeing maximum quality for the consumer.

Born in Naples more than 300 years ago, pizza is often thought of as genuine Italian food by non-Italians, but this beloved food was little known in Italy (outside of Naples) until the 1970s. In 2004, Italy drew up a series of rules that must be followed to make a true Neapolitan pizza: the dough must rise for at least six hours and must be kneaded and shaped by hand; the pizza must be round and no more than 13.7 inches in diameter; and it must be cooked in a wood-fired oven. And only three versions are permitted: Marinara with garlic and oregano; Margherita with basil, tomatoes and cheese from the southern Apennine mountains; and the extra Margherita which must include buffalo mozzarella from the Campania region.

When is a lemon more than just a lemon? When it´s a Sorrento Ovale, also known as the Massa Lubrense lemon, which is produced and sold under the protection of the European Union. This high quality, highly perfumed medium-to-large fruit is identified by its sweet, juicy flesh and few seeds. Even its cultivation is special: the precious fruit is hand-picked to prevent it falling to the ground, and is typically is ripened under pagliarelle, straw mats attached to wooden poles (preferably made of chestnut), which help protect it from the elements. This method also allows for longer ripening times, making the lemons available for a longer season.

Lemon Festival
Massa Lubrense (June)
The Massa Lubrense lemon is celebrated with a delightful festival of food and fun. Try caprese salad with lemon, lemon ice cream, and lemon granita (ice) as well as the liqueur limoncello.

PizzaFest
Naples (September)
The world-famous Neapolitan specialty stars at this festival, where you can taste pizzas of different types and shapes, as well as other Neapolitan foods, watch pizza makers show off their dough-throwing skills, and dance to live music.

Annurca Apple Festival
Valle di Maddaloni (November)
Annurca apples are irregularly shaped, with a white pulp and lovely red skin. They are used to make desserts, vinegar, and cider.

Drink
The water at VerdeRosso is drinkable though most locals prefer bottled water.

There are a lot of wines from the area such as the Castel San Lorenzo made in the Cilento National Park. The most famous product made from Sorrento lemons is limoncello (or limunciel, as the Campanians call it), a delicious liqueur that is the result of an infusion of lemon peel in the purest alcohol. This traditional recipe has been handed down through generations. The herbal liqueur strega, which is enjoyed throughout Italy, is produced in the capital town of Benevento from a secret recipe that has been closely guarded by the Alberti family for almost 140 years.