Italians can be very particular about their ingredients. They shop in different stores to find the best produce, quality olive oil, the freshest fish, the best selection of cheeses, coffee, pasta, and are in the constant lookout for new imports from Italy.
In addition, each Italian has an obsession with its own regional products, a fact certainly true for people from Campania. Luckily, many Italian food shops in New York stock up on some of their favorite delicacies.
Here is a selection of some of the best Campania items to try.
Di Palo’s
The legendary Little Italy grocery store is a go-to destination for buffalo mozzarella from Battipaglia, a town in the area of Salerno known for the production of the popular cheese, but his wide selection also offers other regional specialties. For example, a Caciocavallo made with milk by a rare breed of Italian cow, the Podolica, that graze in the Cilento mountains, and Provolone del Monaco, a semi-hard cheese that comes sweet or spicy. When available, Di Palo’s carries Caciotta di Capra, a goat’s cheese from Monti Lattari, and sheep’s ricotta. Other products from Campania include delicacies from the protected area close to Salerno, the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, such as red and white beans, oregano, and Frantoio Carrano extra virgin olive oil. The store also offers pasta from the popular Gragnano brand and Rummo, a six generation pasta producer from Benevento, with a slow manufacturing process.
Di Palo’s Wine Shop has a great selection of bottles from Campania, starting with Piedirosso and Bianco Lello, a red and a white from the Tramonti area in the Amalfi Coast. Other options include Taurasi wines made with Aglianico grapes, and Pallagrello nero and Casavecchia, made with rare grapes from the region of Caserta. Last but least, Lacryma Christi, a wine produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvios since Ancient Roman times, and Gragnano Rosso Frizzante, a naturally bubbly red that pairs well with charcuterie, mature cheeses served at Di Palo’s nearby wine bar.
Soccer player Lorenzo Insigne from S.S.C. Napoli food shopping at Di Palo's
Gustiamo
The Bronx importer of Italian food in the US is a twenty years institution, providing chefs, restaurants and food lovers a selection of high-quality products. Their website allows the users to select items by region, including delicacies from Campania such as Faella pasta. “One of our exclusive products is Candele, a unique candle shaped pasta by Faella,” explains Gustiamo’s owner Beatrice Ughi. “They are very long and you can break them to the desired length. They are naturally dried on the open air for sixty hours, compared to 30 minutes drying in electric ovens of regular pasta brands.” Gustiamo has a great canned tomatoes selection, including real San Marzano (the “fakes” won’t be able to be called San Marzano anymore after a recent lawsuit) and piennoli del Vesuvio, a fresh-tasting grape tomato from Mount Vesuvius. For real connoisseurs, Beatrice suggests Miracolo di San Gennaro, plum tomatoes so delicate and delicious than they are not even peeled. Produced in limited quantity made by Sabatino Abagnale in the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino region, their DNA is tested 100% San Marzano, and they take their name from the patron Saint of Naples. Other Campania products include anchovies from Trapani, and preserves from the Maida farm in Cilento, prepared with fruits and vegetables harvested to the peak of their freshness, from grilled artichokes to yellow tomato passata, to a white figs jam.
Only 100% Italian canned tomatoes at Gustiamo - among the wide Italian selection!
Eataly
Afeltra, another pasta made in the region of Gragnano since 1848 with air drying techniques, is offered in different shapes at Eataly. The marketplace carries a variety of Campania products, such as the iconic colatura di alici: it is made by pressing anchovies fillets in salt, letting its liquid slowly dripping. The result is a strong condiment that can be used on spaghetti, pizza bianca or steamed vegetables. Another must-have is their Limoncello by Il Convento, made with lemons that grow in the hills of Massa Lubrense at 220 meters above the sea on the coast south of Naples. The mild lemon liqueur, served ice cold, is the perfect ending to an Italian meal.
Only the best Italian produce at Eataly