Campania stands out for the exceptional richness of its typical products, appreciated worldwide and represented by many of them that have obtained the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). These range from fruit and vegetable productions to dairy, winemaking, and olive growing.

In the province of Naples, typical food products include the Piennolo del Vesuvio cherry tomatoes PDO, a variety of tomato originally imported from South America but which has found its perfect habitat in the area at the slopes of Vesuvius, in only 17 municipalities of the Vesuvian area. This variety, also known as “mountain cherry tomatoes,” is characterized by its peculiar cluster shape, long preservation, and full flavor. The extra virgin olive oil of the Sorrento Peninsula PDO, with its intense, aromatic, and balanced flavor, matches well with many typical Campanian and Sorrentine recipes, and is produced both along the coastal areas and inland. The famous Pasta di Gragnano PGI is made by kneading durum wheat semolina with local aquifer water. Among the cheeses, the renowned Provolone del Monaco PDO, a semi-hard, stretched-curd cheese typical of the Sorrento Peninsula, produced also in 13 municipalities of the Naples metropolitan area, and the famous Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO, typical not only of the Province of Naples but also of the Salerno and Caserta areas. The Caciottina Canestraia di Sorrento is an excellent fresh cow’s milk cheese prepared in traditional wicker baskets. Lastly, the Amalfi Coast Lemons PGI, used to make the  limoncello liqueur, the legendary Annurca Apple PGI, grown not only in many municipalities of the Naples metropolitan area but also in other Campanian provinces, and finally the Vesuvian apricot, also known as “Crisommola,” typical of the Vesuvian area.

Like the Naples area, the Sannio region, with the provinces of Benevento and Caserta, can boast many excellent typical products, including dairy products like Caciocavallo Silano PDO, both sweet and aged, and Laticauda sheep’s Pecorino. The Benevento area is also known for the production of cured meats, such as Capocollo and Soppressata del Sannio, Pietraroja ham, and meats as the Central Apennines White Veal PGI. Among fruit and vegetable products are the Pietrelcina artichoke, the Bonea onions, and the Tocco Caudio cherries, while for extra virgin olive oil, the aromatic and spicy “Sannio-Claudio-Telesino” is noteworthy. In the Caserta area, the many local productions range from wines to olive oil, from cheeses to dairy products. Among these, the well-known Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO, produced in almost all the municipalities of the province, and also Bufala Campana Ricotta PDO. Excellent extra virgin olive oils are produced in Caserta, such as Terre Matese and Terre Aurunche PDO, along with the cultivation of the famous Gaeta Olive. In Roccamonfina, another excellence of the territory is cultivated, the Volcano Chestnut, available in the typical varieties “Tempestiva” and “Paccuta,” the former named for its earliness, the latter for its particular round shape.

The Province of Salerno, distinguished by a great variety of territories, reflects this complexity also in the typical food products of the area. Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO is produced mainly in the Sele Plain, among the municipalities of Battipaglia, Eboli, and Paestum, together with burrata and buffalo ricotta. Characteristic are also the Caciocavallo of the Cervati Caves and the of the Pertosa Gorges, a cave-aged stretched-curd cheese produced in the municipalities of the Valle del Tanagro and the area of Monte Cervati, and the Cilento goat cheese, “casu,” produced in sweet and salty varieties. Among fruit and vegetable crops, the San Marzano Tomato PDO, grown in the Agro-Sarnese-Nocerino, known as the “red gold of Campania,” the White Fig of Cilento PDO, and the Roccadaspide Chestnut PGI, a variety of chestnut grown on the slopes of Mount Vesole. The same area also cultivates the Pignatella artichoke. The most renowned olive oils of the Salerno province are the Colline Salernitane extra virgin olive oil PDO and the Cilento extra virgin olive oil PDO.

In the province of Avellino, the Montella Chestnut PGI and the Serino Chestnut PGI, a very precious variety, are harvested, along with the Bagnoli Irpino black truffle, the Mortarella hazelnut, the Camponica hazelnut, and the Montoro Onion, also known as “Ramata di Montoro,” cultivated exclusively in the municipality of Montoro Inferiore, highly appreciated for its long preservation and sweet flavor. Among typical cured meats are the Mugnano del Cardinale salami, the Zungoli capocollo, and the famous Irpina Soppressata, while among cheeses, the hung Caciocavallo and the Carmasciano cheese, produced exclusively in the municipalities of Guardia Lombardi, Rocca San Felice, and Frigento. Particularly interesting are the olives from the Colline dell’Ufita, from which the Colline dell’Ufita extra virgin olive oil is extracted, with a fruity aroma and an aromatic flavor with spicy and bitter notes.