Visiting Rome with kids wouldn’t be complete without eating Roman food. Of course, we can say that when you are in Rome, most likely you will as well eat there. Well, certainly, Rome is jump packed with a wide array of restaurants and food stops. However, many of these restaurants are serving Italian foods like spaghetti Bolognese rather than authentic Roman cuisines. To make your Roman trip a perfect one, it helps if you also get to savor the taste of genuine Roman cuisines. Here are some of the Roman foods that you should not miss eating when in Rome.

Carciofiallagiudia

Also known as Artichoke Jewish-style, Caciofiallagiudia is one of traditional dishes of the Rome’s Jewish Ghetto. This light, delicious and consistently satisfying must try Roman recipe is characterized as young artichokes that is cooked with uniquely tender texture, which can be eaten in their entirety. To make a perfect tasting Carciofiallagiudia, young and tender artichokes are being flattened, seasoned evenly and then fried in olive oil till crusty.

Bruschetta allaRomana

Bruschetta is known as an authentic Roman specialty. It was thought to originate either in Tuscany or Rome. Regardless of where it truly originated, Bruschetta is considered as one of the staple cuisines on the list of antipasti of most Roman restaurant. It is a very simple dish which is characterized by lightly burnt bread coated with elaborate toppings like olive paste, chopped tomatoes, basil and chicken liver.

Spaghetti a “Cacio e Pepe”

It is commonly known as spaghetti with cheese and pepper. This simple type of spaghetti recipe is cooked with a lot of peppers and pecorino Romano cheese. Others cook it with some touch of olive oil or lard. You can mostly see this recipe in local bistros rather than in five star restaurants.

Filetti di Baccala

Filette di Baccala, also known as Filet of Salt Cod or simply Baccala is a Roman delicacy that is derived from the Ghetto. Ghetto, on the other hand, is an ancient Jewish quarter in Rome that was located near the Campo deiFiori. Baccala is a well-known Roman appetizer. Although seafood is not one of the main ingredients in Roman cuisines, Baccala is still being served today in many kosher bistros in the district of Ghetto. Preparation of Baccala is a bit time consuming and intricate since salt cod needs to be soaked in cold water a couple of times until it is softened. Although it has to undergo soaking in a couple of cold water changes, the unique flavor and texture of the salt cod is still preserved. Baccala is often served deep fried. It is sometimes prepared as a part of a light stew, together with vegetables like cherry tomatoes, potatoes and carrots. Another way of preparing Baccala is by simmering salt cod with sauce, tomatoes, raisins and pine nuts.

Pizza

You can see a lot of Pizzeria around every corner of Rome. However, not all of these pizzerias serve authentic Roman pizza style. Roman style pizza is characterized by thin and crisp crust which is purely baked in a wood oven.

These are just among the must try foods when you are in Rome. You can as well try other authentic Roman food like the Fettuccine al Burro and Saltimbocca alla Romana that are being served in different restaurants in Rome. I hope you enjoy eating Roman foods like I do.

Bon Apetit!