From cooking to coffee: the secrets of Neapolitan products and recipes

Cooking in Naples is tradition, preparing coffee in Naples is a culture developed over the years. Thanks to its position in the Mediterranean, Naples has a very warm climate with hot and dry summers, mitigated by the ever-present sea breeze, and moderate and rainy winters. The peculiarity of the Neapolitan climate makes incredibly pleasant to live in Naples and improves many aspects of everyday life.

Among all the aspects that benefit from the Neapolitan climate, there is surely the Neapolitan cuisine. The Neapolitan culinary tradition is full of examples in which particular recipes are better if prepared in Naples. Let's discover what are these recipes.

In the first place could not miss the Neapolitan pizza. Many theories try to demonstrate why pizza in Naples is, objectively, better than other places in the world. Some people think that it is the stone of Naples, namely tuff and its characteristic propensity to conserve humidity, other people believe that it is due to the water of Naples. One of the most romantic ideas is the one that hypothesizes the creation of a microclimate, which maintains temperature and humidity permanent levels, in the historic centre of Naples where the most famous pizzerias of the city are located. In these conditions the dough can rise optimally, to create a perfect mixture and ready to be rolled out.

These are just some of the theories, but the goodness of the pizza is also due to the mastery of the Neapolitan pizza makers who have worked for centuries in the art of pizza.

One of the masterpieces of the local Neapolitan cuisine is coffee. Coffee has become a Neapolitan speciality despite not being a local product. The coffee bean arrived in Naples at the beginning of the seventeenth century and never left the city, becoming an integral part of the Neapolitan social life. But have you ever wondered why Neapolitan coffee is better? One of the most common stories was linked to the water used by the Neapolitans, the "legendary" water of the Serino river which once came directly to the houses, but which now no longer flows from the taps. Yet coffee continues to be delicious. 

However, the real secret lies in the art of preparing coffee which in Naples becomes its ritual, an obligatory passage throughout the day. All Neapolitans know how to make a good coffee, almost as if it were a natural virtue that spreads in the DNA of the Neapolitans.

Also, Neapolitan coffee is excellent because it is prepared in the legendary Neapolitan coffee maker that has become famous all over the world.

In addition to coffee and pizza, some natural products grow only in Naples, but they are famous all over the world. These products of the earth are typical of the Neapolitan culture and flavour most of the Neapolitan recipes. Among these products cannot be missing the yellow Piennolo cherry tomato. This particular type of tomato grows only on the slopes of Vesuvius and is kept hanging in bunches (so the name Piennolo) and takes on a very sweet and sour taste, thanks to the abundance of mineral salts present in the lava soil of the Neapolitan volcano. The Piennolo cherry tomato is accompanied by the San Marzano tomato which enjoys the air of the Amalfi coast which gives it its flavour and its bright red colour.

Friarielli are another speciality of the area of Naples. You can consume mostly fried in garlic and oil with a hint of chilli, they are popular in southern Italy and also in Spain and Portugal. They are grown in many fields of the northern area of ​​Naples and on the Benevento Apennines. A few centuries ago they were grown on the Vomero, so much so that today's Neapolitan elite district was known as the hill of friarielli.

Finally, basil, the herb worthy of kings, is one of the plants most used in Neapolitan and Italian cuisine. It is used to flavour various foods including the most famous, pasta with sauce and the famous Margherita pizza.

In recent years, Neapolitan beer has taken on great importance also at the national level. The history of beer in Naples began a long time ago. In fact, the first Neapolitan breweries date back to the age of the Bourbons who built several establishments between the centre of Naples and Capodimonte, using barley and hops that grew in the countryside of Acerra and Nola. The flavour was unique and due to the rich crops that grew under the Naples sun. The goodness was so appreciated that it was often used also at the court of the Bourbon kings.

The relationship between Naples and its climate and its nature often gives the aforementioned delicacies, so much so that there are dozens more that should be mentioned, such as Gragnagno pasta, Lacryma Christi wine or buffalo mozzarella. Naples offers these delights under its mild climate all year round, so don't waste any more time. Come to Naples to enjoy these pleasures.