After a day between the Royal Palace and the villages around Caserta, for us the most enjoyable part is always the table. Here the cuisine springs from a fertile land, the Campania Felix of the Romans, and from a heritage of products the world envies us. We tell you what to taste in the city and which specialities to take home.
Buffalo mozzarella, first and foremost
The Caserta area is the heart of Mozzarella di bufala campana DOP: many farms and dairies are concentrated on the plain between the Volturno and the Domitian coast. Our advice is simple: eat it the same day, at room temperature, without any dressing, so you can taste the milk and its savouriness. The same milk is used to make buffalo ricotta, soft and sweet. You will find everything in our pages Mozzarella di bufala campana DOP and Ricotta di bufala campana.
Caserta-style pizza
In recent years Caserta and its province have become an important stop for pizza lovers. Alongside the classic margherita with buffalo mozzarella you will find long-fermented doughs and toppings that follow the seasons and showcase local products. We really liked the pairing of friarielli and sausage, a bold-flavoured Campanian classic.
Black Casertano pork and cured meats
A breed worth knowing is the Casertano pig, known as pelatella because it has almost no bristles, with a coat ranging from black to slate grey. It is an ancient native breed, now endangered and protected by recovery projects. Its tasty meat is used to make sausages, soppressate, capocolli and hams: if you find them, try them on a board together with local cheeses.
Fruit, oil and pulses
In autumn we recommend the Melannurca Campana IGP, the small crunchy, fragrant apple that, after picking, is left to redden on the ground in the melai, on beds of straw. In the Caserta area too it is a fixture at seasonal markets.
Olive oil is another pride of the province: the best known is Terre Aurunche DOP, made mainly from the Sessana variety around Sessa Aurunca, but the oils from the hills of the Caiatino and the Matese also deserve a taste. Among pulses, look out for Matese beans and the lentils and chickpeas of the inland areas, perfect in soup with a drizzle of raw olive oil.
Sweets to try
In the city's pastry shops you will find the great Campanian sweets: sfogliatella, babà and, during the holidays, struffoli and pastiera. For the traditional recipes, see Typical dishes of Caserta.
What to drink
A glass of local wine is a must at the table: a white Falanghina or a crisp Asprinio with buffalo mozzarella, a red from the Massico with cured meats. Find out more about the wines of Caserta.
In the surroundings
- Caserta and its surroundings, our guide for planning your trip.
- Typical dishes of Caserta, the traditional recipes.
- Asprinio di Aversa and the married vines, the wine of the alberate.
- The Royal Site of Carditello, the former Bourbon estate devoted to livestock breeding.
Top photo (Caserta): Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
