Calabria Food Guide: Typical Foods and 10 Traditional Dishes
If you’re looking for a new and exciting adventure in Italian food, take a good look at Calabria. This Calabria food guide has what you need to eat your way around this lesser-visited southern Italy coastline.
While the food of Calabria is predominantly what you’d think of as Italian, it also displays unique traces of French, Spanish, and Arabic influences, owing to the invasions and plunders it has endured in the past.
Similar in some ways to Sicilian cuisine just south of this region, the beauty of Calabrian food really does lie in its rich history.
The laid-back philosophy of "riposo", or rest, welcomes you as you arrive at this majestic land of coastlines and mountains.
Perhaps the one thing you can count on to not reflect this thought, however, is the food, for the food here is anything but lazy.
From lamb and pork to eggplant, and seafood, Calabrian cuisine is packed with fresh meats, zestful produce, and the best homegrown spices for a good time, no matter your preferences.
If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at our food guide for a rundown of everything you need need to know.
Food in Calabria is a joyful celebration — so let’s dive right in!
What’s In This Calabria Food Guide?
About Calabria
Staple Foods of Calabria: Bread, Meat, Cheese, Pasta, Produce, Dulce
10 typical dishes of Calabria
About Calabria
Calabria lies in the southernmost part of Italy’s mainland before you cross over the Strait of Messina to the island of Sicily. It forms part of the "toe" of Italy's "boot" shape and sprawls out between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas.
The region is as vibrant and colorful as any Italian coastal city from Portofino to the Amalfi Coast, complete with its share of seaside cliffs, lush forests, busy cities, and kicked-back villages.
Although Calabria is rich in culture and landscape, it is ironically among the poorest regions of Italy, and cities there are rarely mentioned among the famous food cities of Italy. A lack of infrastructure and frequent tremors have left this beauty with an unjust label of not being safe enough, or interesting enough to visit. Even so, don’t let this dissuade you from experiencing the warm hospitality or the wonderful delights Calabria offers.
Calabria ranks in the top 15 most productive regions in the country for GDP. While urban centers such as Catanzaro may be bustling, better use of your vacation here would be to head to one of the seaside villages, or make your way inland, through olive and citrus groves, as you breathe the heady fragrance in the air.
A culinary paradise for foodies, Calabria is the epitome of what the Italians call cucina povera, where modest ingredients are transformed into fabulous meals.
Keep reading to learn all about the staple foods and the most famous and traditional Calabria dishes you have to look forward to!
Staple Foods of Calabria
Bread
Pitta bread
We love starting out any Italian food guide with bread, as you might begin a meal. Pitta bread (note the Middle Eastern influence) is one of Calabria’s regional breads.
Pitta is essentially a yeast-leavened flatbread, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, that has held a significant position in the Calabrian diet for generations.
Whether it’s at an auspicious event, or at a relaxed eatery on the streets of Calabria, you'll spot a pitta bread or two, usually stuffed with meat, herbs, tomatoes, cheese, and very often Calabria’s classic peppers.
Biscotto di Grano
This biscuit-like bread is found more commonly in city centers such as Reggio Calabria. Having a peculiar, salty aftertaste, the bread is best enjoyed with red ripe tomatoes after dousing it in either water or oil for easier eating.
Meat
Guanciale
Guanciale is a typical Calabrian cured meat that is made by processing meat from pork cheeks, neck, and pepper. This gives the meat a versatile flavor that makes your tastebuds crave for more.
Also called Buccalaru locally, it forms a traditional component in many pasta favorites, including the classic carbonara.
‘Nduja Sausage
A Calabrian must-have for every visitor, the classic ‘Nduja is a fiery, buttered sausage that is most commonly savored as a paste or spread.
It's made from a blend of pork parts and chili peppers and is often served on a loaf of bread with a drizzle of olive oil.
If you’re a lover of hot food, it's simply a match made in heaven.
Cheese in Calabria
Provola
The Calabria cheese known as Calabrian provola is known for its exceptional flavor and is arguably one of the finest cheeses in the world.
It is great for eating as an appetizer all on its own, or for use as an ingredient in a dish.
Easily distinguishable in its distinct shape and yellow velvet rind that encases a solid core, this cheese is popularly served smoked or grilled just like other stretched-curd cheeses.
Caciocavallo
Caciocavallo is another signature stretched-curd Italian cheese that originates from Southern Italy. Procured on Sila, an ecologically virgin plateau, this cheese goes from a salty to a more spicy taste as it seasons and is best paired with wines.
Owing to the seasoning, the cheese develops a granular texture, making it a perfect choice for grating.
Butirro
Ever had cheese that smells like summer? Butirro is a kneaded-curd cheese, popular for its scent of flowers and fruits.
With its stringy texture, this sweet cheese tastes great on its own as an appetizer in meals or as an ingredient for dishes. While the outside layer is solid cheese, the butirro’s core is pure butter, rich in flavor and aroma.
Pasta
Lagane
Believed to be the oldest type of pasta in the world, lagane forms part of the traditional staple of the land, lagane e cicciari (more on this below!).
Lagane is wider and thicker than tagliatelle and is usually served as wide velvet ribbons with fresh soups and other signature pasta dishes.
Fileja
Fileja, a type of pasta that looks like elongated screws, is a popular pasta shape found most often in southern Italy including Calabria. It is typically served with a spicy sauce made with the hearty ‘Nduja sausage — in a popular Italian pasta dish known as Fileja ‘Nduja.
The pasta itself is made by wrapping a sheet of dough around a ferretto to form a hollow cord, a process that has been passed down for generations in Calabria.
Unique Produce in Calabria
Peperoncino
Meet peperoncino, the horn-shaped Calabrian red pepper that is the rightful MVP of Calabrian Italian food!
Locals in the region share a common affinity for the spice. So much so that it is often unofficially referred to as a symbol of the region.
Whether you plan to add this ingredient to meat, fish, a vegan salad, or include it as a condiment with a dish, remember to use it sparingly.
This bad boy can really scorch your palate!
Tropea Red Onions
These red onions are a ubiquitous ingredient in Calabria's unique cuisine that hail from the cliffs of Tropea.
They can be eaten raw with a dab of olive oil, thanks to their peculiar sweet taste, or can be used as an ingredient in all the classics - pizzas, pasta, you name it.
However, many a local will say that the essence of this produce is best experienced when eaten as a marmalade paired with your favorite cheeses.
Bergamot
Proudly grown in groves all across the region, Bergamot is the signature citrus fruit of the land. Tea lovers will recognize Bergamot as the distinctive flavor in Earl Grey tea — either your favorite or least-favorite tea!
Popular for the essential oil extracted from it, the bergamot is utilized fully, from pulp to zest, by the locals in a wide variety of dishes. It’s also a favorite aromatherapy ingredient in luxury spa treatments!
From sweets and alcohol to seasoning and granitas, this fragrant fruit is sure to charm you.
Dulce: Sweets and Desserts
Torrone
A traditional gem of a confection, the torrone is what you might call a bona fide nougat candy.
The humble creation is made using the most basic ingredients procured locally to pack a strong punch of flavor and texture — sweet nougat, crunchy toasted nuts, caramelized sugar, intense vanilla, a dash of spices (sometimes with an orange zing), and a generous amount of honey, all combine to form this delicious Italian sweet.
Mostaccioli
Mostaccioli is Italian gingerbread that is baked in households with the most exotic ingredients like fig honey, wine, and locally procured spices.
Available in all the shapes and sizes imaginable, like people, animals, and trees, these edible pieces of artwork are baked to reach a hard consistency.
This gives them a long shelf-life while still allowing them to retain their earthy, rustic sweetness.
10 typical dishes of Calabria
Zuppa di asparagi
Zuppa di asparagi is an authentic Italian asparagus soup from Calabria. Creamy and delectable, it's one of the must-have Calabria dishes when in the region.
The soup boasts the flavor of its star, the asparagus, along with garlic and pecorino cheese. Beef stock is added for an extra oomph with fresh parsley, eggs, and essential spices.
The broth is served creamy and fresh, sometimes with croutons but we suggest you enjoy the soup poured over a few slices of your favorite, crunchy bread.
Variants of the recipe are passed on through generations in different families like a prestigious heirloom. Taking after each hand that prepares it, this wholesome soup is the kind that is perfected over years of cooking and new additions.
Melanzene Ripiene
This classic, yet humble dish has held its place in Calabrian cuisine for many generations. The dish is made using another local favorite of the region and a key player in many Calabrian dishes today, the eggplant.
While the preparation of the dish differs in its nuances across locales, it is predominantly made by stuffing eggplants with stale bread and pecorino. In some provinces, minced meat and tuna are added too!
The eggplants are then fried, grilled or baked before they are served in delicious sauces.
Lagane e Cicciari
A paragon of cucina povera, this pasta dish combines lagane with a blend of Italian spices and the dish's highlight, chickpeas. While this ingredient might not sound very extravagant or special at first, the magic it manages to work into the dish is nothing short of divine.
The pasta is tossed into the cooked chickpeas along with the sauce from it to give the pasta a buttery texture. To top it off, classic Italian olive oil, garlic, rosemary, white wine, and a simple seasoning of salt & ground pepper is added into the mix.
Pesce Spada alla Ghiotta
Swordfish fishing has been a part of Calabrian history since the second century. It's since then that this fish has held the title of the protagonist in the region’s seafood, and this "greedy man’s dish" certainly does it justice.
The dish consists of steaks of fish, cooked in olive oil, and infused with Tropea red onions and anchovies.
If you’re visiting Reggio Calabria, take a walk along the coastline and choose from a wide variety of eateries, where you can enjoy this juicy steak with the coastal wind and sun to compliment it.
Fileja ‘Nduja
Make sure you try this flavorful combination that represents all things Calabrian on your Italian culinary journey. The carefully crafted shape of the fileja goes perfectly with the beautifully cooked sauces and the ‘nduja in this brilliant pasta dish.
To make this dish, ‘nduja is dissolved into a tomato puree, before tossing in the fileja. The flavors of garlic, rosemary, and peppers from the ‘nduja are the frontrunners in this palatable pasta, sprinkled with parsley and cheese.
While in Catanzaro, visit Hotel Club Esse Sunbeach to try out the dish. And don’t forget to pair it with your favorite red wine!
Cuddruriaddri
Ever wonder what Christmas smells like in Calabria? Come December, the air is filled with the scent of these crispy fried doughnuts called Cuddruriaddri.
Try saying this 5-syllable word by rolling lots of R’s, and we’ll give you a gold star! It’s pronounced something like coo-droo-ree-ah-dree!
Like most other dishes, the cuddruriaddri has its variations across the regions, including the use of potato dough and meats!
In Cosenza, you can experience these even at street-food eateries that serve them hot and sweet, in the traditional style.
Lose yourself to the crunchiness of these freshly made sugar delights or take them to go and pair them with your favorite wine!
Pasta e Alici
Pasta e alici is an anchovy pasta dish that is made using only a handful of ingredients. It is sure to fill your hungry belly while leaving an impression on your tastebuds at the same time.
Earthy nuts and locally produced citrus are sometimes added in along with the anchovies. No matter what variant you happen to try, you can always count on the pasta’s smooth texture to be contrasted with a dusting of toasted breadcrumbs.
L'ormeggio in Monasterace marina is a good stop for a taste of this luscious and crunchy delicacy.
Pizza Calabrese
Calabrian pizza stands apart from its neighboring counterparts, mainly in its crust. While most pizzas feature a soft, fluffy pizza base, pizzas served in Calabria have a thin, crisp crust.
The dough is rolled out flat using pins and is slow-baked in the oven for a longer time, giving the pizza a crumbly base. The toppings, on the other hand, include all sorts of delectables.
Salami, black olives, red pepper, or even, a spread of ‘nduja on a bed of mozzarella — who can say No to that?
Rigatoni Alla Silana
Originating in the mountainous Sila plateau, the Rigatoni alla Silana is comfort food for the Calabrians, especially during the winter months.
Rigatoni is cooked al dente with the highest quality produce, including tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, red peppers, and both caciocavallo and pecorino. For meat, soppresata and sausages can be used to tie this marvel together.
Tartufo di Pizzo
Chocoholics, this one’s for you! This authentic Italian dessert consists of a chocolate shell of two different gelatos, enclosing a molten chocolate core, that spills onto your plate as soon as you split it open.
The shells are rolled in dry cocoa powder to balance out the sweetness.
Bar Gelateria Ercole is a famous stop in Pizzo if you’re looking to take your palate to chocolate haven with this ice cream bombe.
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Food in Calabria Italy is food worth traveling for. Between modest preparations and meticulously crafted meals, you will find that Calabria's way of life echoes in each of its food creations.
Use this Calabria, Italy food guide when you’re exploring this land of simple pleasures. It's guaranteed to help you make the best of your visit for food!