A trip to Rome means enjoying the sun, taking in the culture, being mesmerized by the beautiful architecture all around and of course, relishing the delicious traditional dishes. Roman cuisine is prominent for blending simple ingredients and churning out something exceedingly tasty and fulfilling. Most eateries and restaurants serve local delicacies, so in case you need a break while taking tours of the Roman forums, try out some of these flavorful dishes.
Allesso di Bollito
In the past, butchers had to tenderize tough cuts of meat by slow cooking them and hence, simmered beef dishes were once very popular in Italy. Over time, as meat became more reasonable, these traditional dishes went out of style.
However, in certain eateries, this classic preparation is still very much in demand. Simmered beef is sandwiched between breads soaked in the appetizing meat broth– definitely one of the most inviting dishes Rome has to offer.
Supplì
Time for some melted mozzarella! Supplì is a fried snack sold in takeaway counters scattered all over the city. This deep-fried rice croquet is filled with grated beef or chicken or sausage (and sometimes all three!) cooked in tomato sauce gravy. Once you get to its core, molten mozzarella oozes out to please your taste buds.
Fiori di Zucca
The fried foods in Italy are blissful! This is another street favorite that’s prepared with zucchini flowers and filled with anchovies and mozzarella. You’ll remember its unique taste for a long time.
Pizza al Taglio
Italians have taken the local street food pizza and transformed it into an eatable masterpiece! Pizza is a broad term which includes flatbreads as well as round dough. Pizza al Taglio, meaning pizza by the slice, is a specialty in Rome. Flat dough adorned with toppings of the chef’s choice is served by the slice in a casual way. To enjoy thin crusted, crunchy pizzas like locals, find joints named Fornos– there are several around the city.
Cacio e Pepe
The perfect Roman holiday is incomplete without trying the varieties of pastas available here. One such pasta recipe is Cacio e Pepe. ‘’Cacio’’ is salty and aged cheese made with goat’s milk and ‘’pepe’’ is black pepper. Using these two ingredients and some water from the cooked pasta, a beautiful, smooth sauce is prepared– which the pasta absorbs to form a luscious treat.
Carbonara
A mouthwatering spaghetti dish specially prepared with whole eggs or only yolks, which are heated gently to make a smooth and silky sauce with non-scrambled texture. Whatever else is added to the dish, one thing is that’s never added by any Italian chef is cream.
Artichokes
Artichokes have become a signature dish of Rome. To taste the popular Jewish-style artichokes, hit the restaurants near the Jewish quarters. Here, artichokes are fried to perfection–the exterior is crispy but they are succulent from within.
Gelato
Rome is definitely home to the best-tasting gelatos in the entire planet! And you’ll spot locals slurping gelatos at all hours of the day, in all seasons. They have these ice-y dollops on their way back from work, when taking casual strolls with friends or flirting with their partners!
The display of colorful flavors inside a gelateria is also a treat for your eyes. But if you wish to have naturally flavored gelatos free of artificial ingredients, then follow this simple rule– it’s not right if too bright!
To soak up local vibes throughout your stay in Rome, apart from trying these delicacies, also opt for private tour of Rome for families. It ensures you don’t exhaust your precious time waiting in lines and lets you explore all the masterpieces in Rome in a leisurely yet enriching fashion.