What to Eat and Drink in Catanzaro

Many of the traditional Calabrian dishes are rooted in the region’s history and culture, starting with appetizers such as tomato bruschetta with Tropea onions or bruschetta with ’nduja, a type of salami made with extremely hot chili peppers, not to mention the “caviar of the poor”—sardella, which consists of sardines preserved in oil and heavily salted. Calabrian first courses are prepared with meat, fish, or vegetables, and feature homemade pastas such as gnocchetti, strozzapreti, strangugghi, or fileja, made with local ingredients, from homemade sauce to locally sourced meat or fish. The parmigiana is excellent, made with fried eggplant, prosciutto, mozzarella, and sauce; while, among the main courses, some of the typical Calabrian dishes include Catanzaro-style morzeddhu, made with boiled veal tripe simmered in tomato paste and hot chili peppers, or eggplant stuffed with capers, olives, and anchovies; purpetti, or meatballs made with pork, cheese, and chili peppers, served with traditional side dishes such as pipi chini (stuffed peppers), smoked turnips, broccoli, and pipi e patati (half-moon-shaped fried peppers and potatoes). Typical desserts include small cookies made with dried fruits, such as figs or raisins, walnuts, almonds, and orange peel, as well as nougat, which comes in various forms throughout the region. Among the wines, we recommend the white, red, and rosé Bivongi and Lamezia varieties.