What to eat in Salerno: 5 local specialities to try

A few kilometres from Salerno, in a fishing village on the Amalfi Coast, they make a seasoning you use by the drop: a liquid drawn from anchovies left to mature under salt. It's called colatura di alici di Cetara, and since 2020 its name has been protected by the European Union. It sums up how people eat around here: products with a precise origin, often grown or made less than an hour from the table.

Here are five local specialities to look out for during your stay. No restaurant names: just ask around, and trust the people who make them.

1. Buffalo mozzarella (Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO)

It's made only with buffalo milk and has been a PDO product since 1996. The production area includes the whole province of Salerno, which makes a good share of it, especially in the Piana del Sele, the plain south of the city. A local's advice: eat it as fresh as possible, not straight from the fridge, and don't drown it in dressings.

2. Anchovy colatura from Cetara (PDO)

The one from the opening lines. Cetara's anchovies are matured under salt, and the liquid collected at the end is the colatura. A classic way to taste it is on a plate of spaghetti with garlic and olive oil. A few drops are enough: it's intense and already salty, so go easy on the salt in the pasta water.

3. Amalfi Coast lemon (Limone Costa d'Amalfi PGI)

It comes from a variety called "sfusato amalfitano", easy to spot thanks to its long, tapered shape. It grows on the stone terraces of the coast, the so-called "lemon gardens", in twelve towns from Vietri sul Mare to Positano. The peel is very fragrant: if you try a dessert or a liqueur made with these lemons, you'll notice.

4. Paestum artichoke (Carciofo di Paestum PGI)

From the same Piana del Sele, the area around the Greek temples of Paestum, comes an artichoke that earned its protected geographical indication in 2004. Look for it during artichoke season, from late winter into spring, and if you see it on a menu, go for the simplest version, roasted or pan-fried.

5. Cilento white fig (Fico Bianco del Cilento PDO)

This is a dried fig, made from the Dottato variety and produced in the Cilento, the southern part of the province. It has been a PDO product since 2006, and the designation applies specifically to the dried fruit. It makes a great thing to take home: being dried, it keeps well and travels happily in a suitcase.

Where to start

The easiest way to find these products is to wander through the food shops of the old town and ask what's in season. Our B&B is right in the middle of it, so the search can begin as soon as you step out of the door.

Sources

• Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1529, registration of "Colatura di alici di Cetara" PDO
• Italian Ministry of Agriculture, "Limone Costa d'Amalfi" (Google Arts & Culture)
• Commission Regulation (EC) No 465/2004, registration of "Carciofo di Paestum" PGI (EUR-Lex)
• Gazzetta Ufficiale, recognition of the Fico Bianco del Cilento PDO protection consortium (2024, in Italian)
• Wikipedia, "Fico bianco del Cilento" (in Italian)