Anyone who has had the pleasure of spending a day in Castellammare di Stabia, a town located in the Gulf of Naples, also known as "the city of water", will have understood how important the element of water is to their history and routine, including culinary. Suffice it to say that among the most popular local gastronomic products the ancient "gallette stabiesi", stands out, once brought on ships by sailors and softened in sea water, this fragrant cigar- shaped biscuit are traditionally eaten after being dipped in the historic mineral waters.
Cigar-shaped cookies from Castellammare
These characteristic cookies of Castellammare are the culinary pride of the town. They have an elongated shape reminiscent of a cigar or breadstick and can be purchased at bakeries or stalls along the coast of the marina. Their invention dates back to the mid-nineteenth century; it was then that the Riccardi cookie factory, using only simple and authentic ingredients including sugar, flour, water, yeast, vanilla, and butter, gave life to these cookies. Their original recipe remains cloaked in secrecy, but the production was and still is carried on today by other local cookie factories. Although the ingredients used may have undergone some variation, their procedure remains artisanal, natural leavening and the final product is genuine. What has remained unchanged over time is also the custom of soaking these biscuits in the Acqua della Madonna, whose spring is located in the historical center, a few steps away from the sea. This clear and effervescent natural water is particularly appreciated for its benefits, including its diuretic and dissolving qualities, and is only one of almost thirty waters that flow through the Stabiese territory, a rich hydrological heritage famous throughout Italy.
Cookies of the sailors: a tradition almost 200 years old
Even more reminiscent is the history of the "gallette", also known as the "cookies of the sea" or "of the sailors" because at the beginning of the twentieth century the sailors from Castellammare used to take with them provisions for long sea crossings, carrying them in large jute sacks. These crunchy crackers had the advantage of not getting moldy and could be eaten after being softened and seasoned in sea water. Today the crackers have a circular shape, are almost 2 cm thick and have about twenty holes on the surface. The dough is made only with water and flour, and is therefore free of both yeast and salt, making it ideal for those suffering from hypertension. The crackers can be eaten in winter, for example dipped in soups or minestrone, or in summer as a base for salads or caponata. Currently there are few cookie factories in Castellammare di Stabia that produce them. Among these is Cascone Cookie Factory, which has been carrying on the tradition of this ancient recipe since 1908, making the cookies with a 200-year-old machine. The modern and local version of the "gallette di Castellammare" are instead called "caponate" and are nothing more than wheat friselle, always naturally bathed in the waters of the Stabia springs.
These local specialties, together with the equally famous glazed cookies and the typical salted taralli with lard, pepper and almonds, are just some of the many reasons to take a gastronomic tour in this beautiful town in Campania. Enjoy a fish lunch in one of the many chalets scattered throughout the city, a walk along the promenade and a visit to the spring of the Acqua della Madonna.