Ischia's kitchen
What to eat on Ischia: 10 dishes to try
Ischia eats from the sea, but also from the land: rabbit, vegetables from terraced gardens, lemons. Here are the ten dishes worth orienting yourself around.
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1. Spaghetti alle vongole veraci
The signature dish. Local clams, olive oil, garlic, chilli, parsley. Nothing more. A good test of whether a restaurant is serious.
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2. Pesce all'acqua pazza
Whole fish (often pezzogna or dentex) poached in seawater, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, parsley. A recipe born on fishing boats.
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3. Crudo del Golfo
Red prawns, langoustines, amberjack, oysters. The morning's catch, dressed only with oil and lemon.
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4. Coniglio all'ischitana
The island's land dish. Rabbit cooked in a terracotta pot with white wine, cherry tomatoes, garlic, thyme. The sauce is served over pasta as a first course.
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5. Zuppa di pesce
Scorpion fish, gurnard, mantis shrimp, mussels, clams. Rich, slow, Mediterranean.
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6. Frittura di paranza
Small rock fish (red mullet, anchovies, tiny squid) fried in light batter. Sunday fry-up.
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7. Spaghetti al riccio di mare
Seasonal, winter. Natural creaminess, pure sea flavour.
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8. Bucatini al totano
Small squid stewed with tomato. Humble dish, deep flavour.
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9. Rocket and lemon salad
Simple but typical: local rocket, Ischia lemon, olive oil. Closes the meal.
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10. Rucolino, limoncello, mirto
The three Ischian digestivi. Rucolino, a rocket liqueur, is the most distinctive.