{"id":7906,"date":"2015-09-17T16:06:34","date_gmt":"2015-09-17T14:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=7906"},"modified":"2026-05-12T19:21:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:21:13","slug":"why-jewish-food-needs-to-be-on-your-list-of-what-to-eat-in-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/why-jewish-food-needs-to-be-on-your-list-of-what-to-eat-in-rome","title":{"rendered":"Best Italian Jewish food in Rome you need to try"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rome’s Jewish Quarter is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Italy. Although it was created to keep the Jewish community confined, it ended up fostering a culture that has had an outsized effect on the entire city, especially with regards to food.\u00a0<\/span>Today, Italian Jewish food, such as fried artichokes, sits atop of every list of what to eat when in Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It may surprise you to learn that several Roman pasta dishes have a kosher twist!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Table of Contents<\/p>\nToggle<\/span><\/path><\/svg><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n

  • A Brief History of Jewish Food in Italy<\/a><\/li>
  • Traditional Jewish Roman Dishes<\/a>
    • Carciofi alla giudia<\/a><\/li>
    • Concia<\/a><\/li>
    • Suppl\u00ec<\/a><\/li>
    • Baccal\u00e0 all\u2019ebraica<\/a><\/li>
    • Pizza Ebraica<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
    • Modern Jewish Roman Cuisine<\/a>
      • Amatriciana alla Giudia<\/a><\/li>
      • Kosher Carbonara and Saltimbocca<\/a><\/li>
      • Pizza al Taglio with a twist<\/a><\/li>
      • Sephardic and Middle Eastern Influences<\/a><\/li>
      • New Restaurants Put a Spin on Old Favorites<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
      • Recommended Jewish Quarter Eateries<\/a>
        • Giggetto<\/a><\/li>
        • Nonna Betta<\/a><\/li>
        • BaGhetto Ristorante Kosher-Portico d’Ottavia<\/a><\/li>
        • Yotvata<\/a><\/li>
        • Piperno Restaurant<\/a><\/li>
        • Little Tripoli<\/a><\/li>
        • Pasticceria Boccione<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
        • Discover the Flavor of Rome: Join the Ultimate Food Tour!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n

          <\/span>A Brief History of Jewish Food in Italy<\/span><\/h2>\n

          Jewish culture has had an influence on Italian cuisine since at least the Renaissance when Jewish recipes for geese – a favorite protein of Jews in the Po Valley for centuries – infiltrated the papal kitchens of the famous chef, Bartolomeo Scappi.<\/p>\n

          Italian Jewish cuisine is also venerated, slightly backhandedly, by in the 1939 edition of Italy’s most famous modern cookbook, Science in the Kitchen<\/em>, by Pellegrino Artusi. Perhaps the most poignant incarnation of Jewish recipes is in another classic cookbook –\u00a0Eating Italian<\/em>, by the Jewish-Italian author Fernanda Momigliano – who penned her era-defining work in 1936, on the eve of large-scale antisemitic persecution in Italy and the rest of Europe. Although members of her family were murdered in the concentration camps and Momigliano only just escaped internment herself, her cookbook enshrined Jewish cooking indelibly in\u00a0la cucina italiana.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

          Like New York and its bagels, Rome has adopted many Jewish foods so whole-heartedly that they are no longer thought of as Italian Jewish Food, they are just Roman foods. Ground zero for these treats are the old Jewish Quarter, which sits hiding in plain sight in the heart of the city. As one of the culinary gems of Rome, hip Romans and savvy tourists alike go there for lunch or dinner. Because of its long history and beautifully-preserved streets it’s also considered one of the most authentically Roman places in the entire city. <\/span><\/p>\n

          Insider Tip:<\/strong> If you want to go, be sure to read our\u00a0 Visitors’ Guide to the Jewish Quarter<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

          \"Artichokes\"

          Fried artichokes are one of our favorite Italian Jewish foods to eat in Rome.<\/p><\/div>\n

          <\/span>Traditional Jewish Roman Dishes<\/span><\/h2>\n

          The most notable Jewish Roman dishes originate from the years of the Ghetto\u2019s curfew, between the 1500s and 1800s, when the three gates of the district were locked after sunset by law. They utilize what\u00a0were then thought of as\u00a0humble ingredients like artichokes, codfish and zucchini. Dried beef replaces pancetta and offal is\u00a0roasted before cooking to remove any trace of blood.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The name of the game was cucina<\/em> povera<\/em>, literally, “poor cuisine”.\u00a0<\/em>With little money and even fewer freedoms, Rome’s Jewish population\u00a0made do with the scrap cuts of meat. They also began frying food to add more taste. Mozzarella, zucchini, little finger fish from the river – they fried it all. Another great culture of\u00a0cucina povera\u00a0<\/em>originated in Tuscany.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          Insider Tip:<\/strong> Read our blog on the origins of Tuscan cuisine<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>to find out about more delicious regional specialties.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

          The quality of the food, along with the Ghetto\u2019s cultural isolation helped most of these dishes survive the test of time while being updated, adapted or improved for the modern palate. Whatever the option, Italian Jewish food is kosher, hearty, and based on long culinary traditions. And, it’s also some of the best food in Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n

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          Trying suppl\u00ec in Trastevere is a must.<\/p><\/div>\n

          Here are some of our favorites from Rome\u2019s Jewish neighborhood:<\/span><\/p>\n

          <\/span>Carciofi alla giudia<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

          “Guidia” is the word for “Jew” in the Roman dialect of Italian. \u201cJewish-style\u201d artichokes \u00a0are a spring delicacy that are first tenderized until they open up and then deep-fried. Simple, yet delicious, they are perhaps the best known dish to come from the ghetto and one of the most characteristic things to eat in Rome. <\/span><\/p>\n

          Don’t expect to eat them whenever you want, though; their season is vanishingly brief, gracing the menus of most of Rome’s best restaurants\u00a0starting in February and lasting only through April. You can get them out of season but we don’t recommend it, as eating seasonally is one of the main joys of any Italian vacation. <\/span><\/p>\n

          Insider Tip:<\/strong> For more advice one what to eat when, read up on eating seasonally in Ital<\/a>y<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n