In Naples, cuisine becomes identity: Ammammato is born Ammammato

Naples celebrates its cuisine as a defining characteristic of its identity in Ammammato Ammammato, a book by Ciro Salatiello and Peppe Iannicelli. Published by Edizioni Vulcaniche, the book is available in bookstores starting September 16th and aims not just as a recipe book but as a description of the city through food, history, and traditions.

The 200-page volume is priced at €20. The preface is by Maurizio de Giovanni, adding an authoritative narrative framework to the project.

This editorial project explores a gastronomic balance typical of Naples: on one hand, the nuns and their devotional practices; on the other, the monsù, cooks serving the Bourbon court, transformed into symbols of culinary prowess. The work explores how the city's cuisine successfully fused these elements, giving rise to a tradition capable of uniting the sacred and the profane, the high and the low, at the same table. The central idea is that each ingredient finds its place within an amalgamation capable of enhancing the collective flavor beyond the sum of its parts.

Ammammato Ammammato thus presents itself as an interdisciplinary journey: through recipes, historical context, myths, characters, and emotions, in which food becomes the language of conviviality and peace. This authoritative cultural framework is also reflected in the book's discoveries, which range from the origins of some of the most famous dishes to the symbolic value of foods, exploring iconic figures and moments in Neapolitan history. References cited in the work include such figures as Virgil, Caravaggio, Garibaldi, Maradona, and Eduardo De Filippo, demonstrating how culture can engage with food in an immersive and universal way.

The author duo, Salatiello and Iannicelli, are presented as an "odd couple" capable of combining gastronomic expertise and cultural storytelling. Salatiello is a prominent chef of Campania cuisine and has held international positions, with innovations such as Kepurp, a boiled octopus kebab. Iannicelli, a journalist and television host, is known for his work disseminating culture, sports, and food, and hosts radio and television programs.

The official presentation of the book is scheduled for October 3rd at 7:00 PM at the Palazzo Reale, during the fifth edition of the Campania Libri Festival, promoted again this year by Edizioni Vulcaniche. The volume is intended as a tribute to Neapolitan identity, inviting readers to share food as an act of love and peace, rather than simply a collection of recipes.