The history of street food in Italy has deep roots dating back to different eras and cultural influences. The concept of street food vending has been present in the country’s history for centuries, but in recent decades, street food has experienced a renaissance and significant growth.
We can say that street food originated in ancient times and traces of it can be found in the customs of the Greeks and Romans, who set up their stalls on the streets to sell soups made from broad beans, spelt and chickpeas to the poorest classes of society.
This cuisine was created for the common people, and over the centuries it has never seen a decline in popularity, but it has never been in the spotlight precisely because it is often located in the poorest neighbourhoods and slums.
In medieval times, fairs and markets were important social events, and the spaces were animated by street vendors offering various types of food. Local and regional specialities were often sold on these occasions or during festivals, such as fritters during Carnival.
Street food already found fertile ground in the southern regions in the 19th century: in Naples, pizza became one of the most iconic “street foods”, initially accessible to the poorer classes, sold by street vendors because it was cheap, tasty and easy to eat while walking through the crowded streets of the city; In Sicily, arancini, fried rice balls often stuffed with ragù, cheese and peas, were traditionally eaten during the holidays, but over time, they became a popular snack for people on the go.
The quintessential street food product is undoubtedly the sandwich: the use of bread as a container for various ingredients is ancient, but in the 19th and 20th centuries, the concept of the sandwich underwent a transformation, becoming a convenient option for street food, easily transportable and consumable while walking.
Italian street food offers numerous traditional dishes
Rice balls
Arrosticini
Farinata
Focaccia di Recco
Lampredotto sandwich
Meusa sandwich
Panigacci della Lunigiana
Piadina romagnola
Porchetta
Pizza
Olive all’ascolana
Babà
Cannoli
In recent years, street food in Italy has experienced a new and different phase of widespread popularity. Thanks to food trucks, which can travel throughout the country, it is now possible to sample different regional specialities anywhere. Initially at street food festivals, but now increasingly at sporting or musical events, and even at catering services organised by major brands rather than in collective catering, it is becoming increasingly common to offer attendees a variety of specialities presented at their best – served by quality restaurateurs – on board their original trucks.
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