Italy’s definitely famous worldwide for its food: pizza, all kinds of pasta and recipes that will blow your mind (and taste buds!), and Rome’s street food surely is no exception to the rule. Taking a walk through the Eternal City, we’re sure you’ll come across many different types of street food, for instance: Trapizzino, Pizza al Taglio, Fried Cod Fish, Tiramisu, Maritozzi and many more, but, the most popular one has got to be the Supplì!
If you are visiting Rome we surely recommend you to try the king of Roman street food.
Let’s find out something more about this amazing street food!
What is a Supplì
As mentioned before, Supplì is a particular street food that is typical in the city of Rome. It looks like a big fried meatball and it’s actually made of rice garnished with tomato sauce, and pecorino cheese. All of this is made into a ball that is passed in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs and eventually fried in hot oil.
This is not the only version you will be able to find it in though… Throughout the years, Romans had a lot of fun experimenting with different recipes and condiments, one of the most popular ones being the “supplì al telefono” (supplì on the phone). The reason behind this name is that in this supplì Romans add mozzarella cheese and, when eaten warm by breaking it in half, the melted cheese becomes stringy, making it look like a telephone cable!
Here are some other supplì kinds that you may want to try when you’re in Rome:
- Supplì carbonara: made with rice and a cream of egg yolks, pecorino, black pepper and guanciale;
- Supplì cacio e pepe: made with rice and cream of pecorino cheese and black pepper;
- Supplì prosciutto e fichi: made with rice, cured ham, guanciale, onion, figs and black pepper;
- Supplì scarola e alici: made with rice, escarole, olives, capers, anchovies and fiordilatte mozzarella cheese;
- Supplì alla parmigiana: made with rice, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and fried eggplants;
The origin of the word “Supplì”
The name “Supplì” is believed to derive from the italianization of the French word “surprise”. This happened because apparently a French soldier, after trying this delicious street food, said that the mozzarella inside was truly a surprise which later on led to the word “supplì”.
Where to eat the best Supplì in Rome
We’re sure you’re already starting to feel hungry for a supplì so here’s a list of some of the best places where you can get one in Rome:
- SUPPLIZIO (Trastevere);
- LA CASA DEL SUPPLÌ (San Giovanni);
- SBANCO (Appio-Latino);
- SANCHO (Fiumicino);
And more generally, if you just walk through the streets of Rome and see a rosticceria or pizzeria, they will most likely serve you a supplì!
Differences between Supplì and Arancino
Supplì is also quite similar to the Sicilian street food called “arancino” but, even though they may look alike, they’re actually a lot different! Let’s find out why!
The main difference between supplì and arancino is the condiment, the classic version of the arancino is, in fact, made with meat ragù, peas and mozzarella. The supplì is made with simple tomato sauce, pecorino and mozzarella!
Make sure you don’t get them wrong as Italians tend to get quite offended when these sorts of things get mistaken!
Conclusion
So, if you’re planning a trip to Rome, make sure you squeeze the tasting of a Supplì into your sightseeing schedule… you surely won’t regret it!
