Apart from pasta and pizza, Italian cuisine has thousands of recipes that have conquered the world for their flavor and quality ingredients.
One of these recipes is Caprese salad, a specialty that comes from Capri Island, and that has become an icon of Italian gastronomy. We do not know if the key to its success comes from the combination of colors it achieves, only with red, white and green, like Italy’s flag. Or, perhaps it is because of its simplicity. With only 3 ingredients: tomato, mozzarella and basil.
It is believed that it was created in the 1920s as an alternative to pasta and pizza. A fresh and healthy option for the intense Mediterranean heat.
In our restaurant, you will find this specialty and other recipes that will bring you to Italy.
1. 3 different origins
Although Caprese salad’s origin is more than confirmed and is located on the beautiful Italian island of Capri, the reasons for the creation of the recipe do not seem to have a single version.
We tell you about the different origins, and choose the one that convinces you the most:
Version 1
It is believed that an island bricklayer, tired of always eating the same sandwich, decided to innovate with his snack. He looked for inspiration in his beloved country’s flag and combined tomatoes with mozzarella and basil.
Version 2
It is said that King Farouk I of Egypt (1920-1965) used to spend his summers on the island of Capri. After long hours of sunbathing, he was in the mood for a fresh dish. Therefore, he asked for a light salad made with seasonal products.
Version 3
Another version says that it was the Quisisana Hotel who created this recipe. It was created as a tribute to the founder of the futurist movement Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, who had expressed his hatred for the excessive consumption of pasta in Italy.
2. Quality ingredients
The key to differentiate a good Caprese salad does not lie in its preparation, as in other recipes. This one is distinguished by the quality of the ingredients.
We show you how to recognize them:
3. Other Caprese recipes
After the recipe’s success, it is rare not to find a Caprese on any restaurant’s salad menu.
Also, this combination of ingredients has inspired other dishes such as pizza, sandwiches, pasta, empanadas, skewers, stuffed chicken breasts, etc.
Similarly, there are as many versions of Caprese salad as there are pizzerias in Italy. Some of them have incorporated ingredients such as avocado, pesto, burrata, etc.
Others have focused on the presentation of the salad itself: whether in the form of a timbale, with the tomato cut in a carpaccio style, alternating each of the ingredients, etc.
Taste this recipe!
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