9781422271391

Today, Naples throws an annual festival known as Napoli Pizza Village to celebrate its famous dish, which is one of the biggest events in the country. Cheese Please Naples is located in the Campania region, which is famous for its burrata (a soft mixture of cheese curds and cream formed to make a

ball) and buffalo mozzarella (made with the milk of a local buffalo). Buffalo’s milk has lower levels of carotene, making it lighter on the stomach.

A CUP OF KINDNESS

Naples is famous worldwide for its pizza, but in Italy, it is also well known for its coffee and cafés. Coffee is a symbol of warmth and life to Neapolitans. In fact, a practice evolved during World War II where someone with extra money would order their coffee and one “ caffè sospeso ” or one coffee “on hold.” So, anyone who wanted a coffee but couldn’t afford one could go to a café and ask if there were any caffé sopesos. When the answer was yes, they would be served their coffee. This fell out of practice over the decades. Italy was the first country outside of Asia to be economically devastated by the global coronavirus pandemic in early 2020. So, in a testament to how Italian people treasure tradition and look out for each other, coffees were again put “on hold” in their cafés. Not only that, but entire meals were also bought and reserved for others. Due to social media, the practice ended up spreading beyond Naples. This is a beautiful example of how food is a form of cultural communication. A way of saying, “I’ve got you.”

Italian

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