10 Dishes You Must Try When in Rome


 

Looking to eat as the Romans do while you’re in town? You’ve come to the right place.

When in Rome it’s important to remember that not all Italian dishes are made the same throughout the country. There are some dishes that are best sampled in Rome, some best sampled in Naples, some best sampled in Verona, and so on.

When in Rome, these are ten that the city does to perfection; ones to keep an eye out for.

1. Carbonara in Rome

While every city in Italy makes their own attempts at this dish, Carbonara was birthed in the city of Rome. It only emerged during the 20th century, which was not that long ago.

This is a pasta dish made with egg, strong cheese, guanciale (a meat traditionally made from pigs cheeks) and seasoning. Rome is the one place where you can sample it as it was intended to be made; other variants of this meal often make use of cream, ham and even milk.

I’ve found the best Carbonara lives on the left bank of the Tiber, in the historic center where the guided walking tours take place.

by Izzy Boscawen – Unsplash

2. Gelato in Rome

Another dish always easy to find where guided walking tours are present is gelato.

Again, Italians tend to pass their recipes down through generations, and so each chef or family have their own unique way of preparing specific things.

Rome has great gelato. They have sugar free gelato, vegan gelato, gluten free gelato, traditional gelato, any gelato you can imagine. This is the perk of eating ice cream in a country’s capital city; there are enough options for everyone to be properly catered to.

by Katie Smetherman – Unsplash

3. Roman Pizza in Rome

Traditional Roman pizza has been around for centuries and can be found in most cities in Italy, so even if you don’t try any why actually in Rome you’ve in no way lot your chance.

Roman pizza is typically served in two forms: by the slice as rectangles, or round, whole pizzas per person to enjoy. For the rectangular slices the bases are usually slightly thicker than the bases used on round Roman pizzas.

One key difference with Roman pizzas is that olive oil is added to the dough, whereas this is not the case with most other variants of the cuisine. It is said to contribute sufficiently to the crispiness.

by Jens Johnsson – Unsplash

4. Risotto in Rome

Risotto originated in northern Italy, not Rome specifically. Nevertheless, Rome is still one of the top cities in the world in which to sample mastery around this cuisine.

Risotto is a rice dish in which rice is cooked in broth until it becomes almost creamy. Meats, vegetables and cheeses can then be added to the dish for final flavors.

Risotto is one of those dishes that has to be made with great care and precision, or it will be absolutely unpleasant to eat. You’ll know the difference the minute you start sampling this dish in more than a few restaurants.

by Patrick Selin – Unsplash

5. Tiramisu in Rome

Tiramisu is one part of Italian cuisine that needs to be sampled as often as possible, in as many cities as possible.

Rome has incredible tiramisu! I’ve eaten my way through the city enough times to know this for a fact. You can read about ten of my favorite spots by clicking here. I was also able to track down some tiramisu suitable for vegans, and it was phenomenal!

Another dish that is very easy to make, but must be done with care or the consistency will be hugely unpleasant.

by Toa Heftiba – Unsplash

6. Caprese Salad in Rome

I had honestly never understood the hype around a Caprese Salad until I made it to Rome. In my mind a salad was not something plated flat, consisting of just three main ingredients.

As you might know, a Caprese Salad is a plated arrangement of sliced mozzarella, tomato and basil leaves; drizzled with olive oil and a bit of salt. Surprisingly, it is a satisfying salad indeed, and it is Rome’s number one starter dish in most local restaurants.

Something sweet that was pointed out to me by a local not long ago is that a Caprese Salad is made to reflect all the colors in the Italian flag; red, white and green.

by Popo le Chien – Wikimedia Commons

7. Bruschetta in Rome

Now bruschetta, on the other hand, is a dish I was very familiar with prior to my arrival in Rome. This is a favorite starter-dish around the world; slices of grilled bread rubbed with garlic, salt, olive oil and topped with whatever vegetable is going (usually tomatoes).

Romans do fantastic bruschetta, and like the Caprese Salad, you’ll find it on just about ever menu placed in front of you.

by Chris Tweten – Unsplash

8. Porchetta in Rome

Now porchetta you’ll either love or you’ll hate.

It’s a deboned piece of pork carcass that has more fat and skin still attached to it than not. It is stuffed with fennel and liver, and then slow roasted over heat for roughly eight hours or more.

It is a very fatty, very moist dish that Romans are absolutely besotted with. If you’re a meat lover in general, then this is definitely your calling.

by Zorro2212 – Wikimedia Commons

9. Supplì in Rome

Rice balls! That’s really all there is to making a good supplì.

These balls are traditionally mushed together using a sort of tomato paste. They sometimes add some mince or chicken pieces, as well as a piece of mozzarella. The balls are then soaked in egg, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep fried until nice and crispy!

by FrederikBianko – Wikimedia Commons

10. Carciofi Alla Giudia in Rome

Another food that Romans love are artichokes! They have a number of different ways of preparing them but I like carciofi alla giudìa most. This one originated in the Roman ghettos, where there was always a large Jewish community present.

The Jewish rendition of this dish is really just artichokes that are deep fried; simple and delicious.

by Marco Iannantuoni – Wikimedia Commons

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