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Ghetto Cuisine
GHETTO CUISINE
A cuisine that tells stories of identity, resilience and community
Located in the heart of Rome, the Jewish ghetto has historically been a place of concentration and cohesion for Rome’s Jews, with a cuisine that reflects its customs and history and that originated as a meeting of flavours and traditions of Jewish and Roman culture, which have enriched and contaminated each other.
The dishes of the Roman ghetto are often a combination of local ingredients and Jewish culinary practices, with a skilful use of herbs, spices and basic ingredients leading to a cuisine rich in flavours and aromas that will win anyone’s palate.
Dishes such as artichokes “alla giudia” or “baccalà alla romana” show how simple ingredients can be transformed into culinary delights that fit perfectly into the culinary tradition of the capital.
One cannot talk about the cuisine of the Roman ghetto without mentioning traditional sweets, such as the Jewish almond biscuits known as amaretti. These soft, fragrant sweets are made with ground almonds, sugar and egg whites, are often flavoured with lemon or vanilla zest, and are a perfect finishing dessert for any meal.
Each dish is a chapter in the history of a community that has been through difficult times and has found in cooking a way to preserve its culture and share it with the world: a culinary heritage rich in history, culture and tradition and an invitation to explore not only new flavours, but also the deep roots of a community that has left an indelible mark on the culinary history of Rome and the world.
