A Culinary Vacation in Campania, Italy

The Campania region of Italy —which lies south of Rome on the west coast of the country, along the Tyrrhenian Sea— should be on every culinary traveler’s list. Its capital, Naples, is the birthplace of Pizza Margherita (a tomato, basil, and mozzarella pie with the colors of the Italian flag), and its pizzerias are praised (and copied) around the world. The area, which includes travel hot spots Pompeii and the Amalfi coast, is also justly famous for its fantastic San Marzano tomatoes, pristine seafood, and pasta.

Campania is agriculturally rich: Tomatoes, chestnuts, figs, beans, onions, artichokes, lemons, and apples flourish in the rich soils under Mount Vesuvius. (Browse Slow Food’s Ark of Taste for Campania to see specific varieties of produce and other foods worth seeking out in Campania, including such items as the Castellammare Violet Artichoke and the Cilento Dotted Fig.)

While Campania is a major exporter of wine, olive oil, pasta, and canned tomatoes, some of the most spectacular food of the region can only be experienced when you’re there: Fresh, still-warm mozzarella, floating in brine; bubbly, wood-fired pizza; and just-caught shellfish tossed with pasta are just a few of the can’t-miss dishes. View the slideshow above for our top nine picks in the area.