My Point Of View Sorrento: Typical Food

In my time since coming to Sorrento I have had the opportunity to eat so much amazing food in the local area.

From antipasto to pastas to dessert, I hope to try it all before I have to leave this wonderful place.

Here are some of the things I’ve enjoyed in Sorrento thus far and be sure to comment with any foods I’ve missed to try in the coming weeks!

Aperitivo and Antipasto

One thing that intrigued me when coming to Italy was aperitivo.

Though very similar to the American concept of “happy hour”, Aperitivo is more of a pre-meal drink that is meant to increase your appetite.

Aperitivo can be had before lunch or dinner, and you can always see people drinking a spritz at one of the local bars.

This also typically comes with small finger foods and snacks such as tiny pizza frittas, nuts, olives, and marinated vegetables.

Also, whenever I see fried zucchini flowers on a menu (which is very often in Sorrento) I always order them!

Growing up, at my grandparents house my grandfather kept a small garden where he would grow vegetables such as zucchini and tomatoes, as well as carefully tend to his fig trees.

Just before zucchini starts to grow, a flower blossoms on the plant.

This was always so exciting for me and my sister because that meant my grandmother would be making us fried zucchini flowers.

Finding them in a restaurant in the United States is a hard feat, but here in Sorrento there are so many amazing restaurants that serve them with their own twist.

Primi Piatti

A typical pasta of the area that was said to have been created in Amalfi in the 1960s is Scialatielli.

This is a short rectangular pasta, thicker than tagliatelle, that has a slightly curvy shape.

This type of pasta is typically served with fresh shellfish which Sorrento is very well-known for given the town’s coastal location.

Another dish called Gnocchi alla Sorrentina takes its name from Sorrento where the dish was created.

It is said that a chef cooking in a restaurant in Piazza Tasso received a bag of potatoes that had been brought to Italy from the Americas.

Experimenting with how to cook them, he ended up creating gnocchi!

This dish is typically prepared with tomato sauce and mozzarella and it is always one of my favorites to order.

I Dolci

A local dessert made from the area’s famous lemons is Delizia al limone.

This dome-shaped dessert consists of a sponge cake soaked in a limoncello-based syrup and filled with a lemon custard.

Coated in a lemon glaze this dessert is a must try in Sorrento as well as along the coast.

A specialty of Naples that is also especially popular in Sorrento is the Sfogliatella.

There are two types of sfogliatella, riccia and frolla.

Riccia is the Neopolitan version with a flaky and crunchy outside, while frolla has a shortbread crust.

I have had some good sfogliatella from Italian bakeries in the United States, but none compare to some of the ones I’ve had in Sorrento and Naples!

Until coming to Italy, I had never heard or seen sfogliatella frolla before, but both are absolutely delicious.

You also simply cannot forget about gelato! There are so many great gelaterias in Sorrento where you can try more typical flavors or even some more creative ones as well.

I recently had gelato sandwiched in a brioche bun and it is definitely a must-try that you can find in many of the local gelato shops.