Roman cuisine is authentic, flavorful and special. It is said that Italian food is one of the best in the world: you still haven’t tasted the street food in Rome.
Rome is a culinary stage with plenty of choice, depending on your taste and budget.
From fine dining, to food stalls in touristic spots, anything in Rome tastes delicious and I am here to prove it.
Where once people would meet to drink wine, bringing food from home, today we see the rise of osterias. Those small eateries are the ones that serve the most authentic recipes, homemade with the freshest local ingredients and at a very affordable price.
But then again the food industry keeps on changing: today we rather eat a quick meal, maybe even strolling around the streets in the Italian capital city.
That is why I have put together a list of street food you definitely cannot miss when you are in Rome.
- Pizza al taglio
This street food is in fact a proper pizza, not circular neither sliced. This pizza is in fact baked in a square tray and then cut in chunks, which are sold singularly. Crunchy and tasty, toppings are various: you will find a simple Margherita, with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, as well as more flavorful potatoes and sausages and many other different kinds.
Easy to carry, easy to eat, easy to love.
- Panino con la porchetta
This is probably the first choice amongst locals: panino is a sandwich made with daily fresh oven baked bread. There are a big variety of fillings but the best one in Rome couldn’t be other than Porchetta. What is it? Porchetta is the name of a whole pork cooked on a spit fire, whose meat is then cured and sliced like a sort of ham.
Seasoned with a variety of local spices, Porchetta is delicious and makes for a perfect quick lunch in the busy streets of the Eternal city.
- Trapizzino
This is a very recent invention by chef Stefano Callegari, also exported in Turin and lately in New York. It is a white pizza slice (cheese only, no tomato) cut in the middle and filled with all sorts of condiments. Usually, the choices are typical recipes from the roman cuisine. Coda alla vaccinara, Pollo alla cacciatora and also a vegetarian version with Melanzane alla Parmigiana – which means veal, chicken or vegetable sauces: this is a great solution to taste both street food and authentic italian recipes.
- Supplì
Supplì is the most traditional street food in Rome and is great anytime of the day: it can be a snack, a lunch or an after dinner.
Imagine a nugget, made of rice and pecorino cheese, filled with gooey mozzarella and tasty meat ragout, breaded and fried. Doesn’t it sound delicious? Well, I can tell it tastes even better than it sounds.
Similar to the sicilian version called Arancini, the first appearance of this street food was in 1847. Not only a street food, but also a creative way to use leftovers from a family meal. Simple but delicious.
Many eateries in Rome serve these kinds of street food, and I am so fond of those recipes to know the best spots. Food stalls, street vendors and city markets: let me guide you through this amazing culinary journey.
How to do that?
Easy: reserve one of my private tours and let’s built the perfect customized itinerary to take you around not only the best landmarks of the city, also the greatest eateries in Rome. We will make sure you have an authentic experience!
