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Insalata caprese
Insalata caprese
Tomato, mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil.
Contains
It has no documented inventor. The most widely told story links it to Marinetti’s Futurist dinners at the Grand Hotel Quisisana on Capri, in the early twentieth century.
The story of Insalata caprese
Insalata caprese is tomato, mozzarella and basil, with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. It is a raw dish, born on Capri, far removed from the long cooking of Neapolitan cuisine.
It has no documented inventor. According to the journalist Luciano Pignataro, the salad of tomato and “cacio” became famous on Capri in the early twentieth century, thanks to intellectuals and foreign travellers. The most widely told story links it to Filippo Tommaso Marinetti’s dinners at the Grand Hotel Quisisana: the Futurists, sworn enemies of pasta, loved it. Other versions mention the restaurant Luigi ai Faraglioni, or King Farouk of Egypt, who is said to have eaten it in a sandwich on Capri. The dates change from one story to the next.
Opinions differ on the cheese, too. According to Pignataro, cow’s-milk fiordilatte was used originally, and buffalo mozzarella took over later. Oregano, in his view, masks the flavour: a caprese calls for basil torn by hand.
Who invented the caprese salad?
There is no documented inventor. The most widely told story links it to Marinetti’s Futurist dinners at the Grand Hotel Quisisana on Capri; other versions mention the restaurant Luigi ai Faraglioni.
Should caprese be made with buffalo mozzarella or fiordilatte?
According to Luciano Pignataro, cow’s-milk fiordilatte was used originally; today buffalo mozzarella is often used.
Does caprese salad have oregano?
The classic version has basil. Those who defend the traditional recipe advise against oregano, because it masks the flavour of the tomato.