Caprese salad

Caprese salad (Italian: insalata caprese, pronounced [insaˈlaːta kaˈpreːze; -eːse]) is an Italian salad composed of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil and seasoned with salt and olive oil. It is usually arranged on a plate in restaurant practice,^[1][2][3] and in Italy does not feature a vinegar.^[4] Like pizza Margherita, it features the colours of the Italian flag: green, white, and red. In Italy, it is usually served as an appetiser (antipasto), not a side dish (contorno), and it may be eaten any time of day. Caprese salad is one form of a Caprese dish; it may also be served as pizza or sandwich.^[5]

Caprese salad

Alternative names	Insalata caprese (in Italian)
Place of origin	Italy
Region or state	Capri, Campania
Main ingredients	Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, olive oil
Cookbook: Caprese salad   Media: Caprese salad

The salad is named after the island of Capri, where it is believed to have originated.^[6] As of the late 1990s, the salad was commonly believed on the island to be at least one hundred years old.^[4] Two common origin stories exist, describing its creation as either a patriotic homage to the Italian flag, or as a way to appease the palates of vacationing royalty and important politicians in the 20th century.^[5] According to the Capri food writer Marino Barendson, the salad first gained its name in the 1930s at the Ristorante Luigi ai Faraglioni.^[4]

Over time, the method of preparation and serving Caprese salad has changed. At one point in the 20th century, preparation involved chopping, salting, and draining tomatoes, before seasoning with salt, pepper, oil, and garlic and tossing with basil and diced mozzarella. At other times, the tomato was cut in half, and a flower was formed by inserting basil and mozzarella. By the 1990s, oregano was a popular addition, particularly on Capri which grew a sweeter local variety, as was arugula, popularly and erroneously described as "wild".^[4]

Large, round tomatoes of the cuore di bue variety (a type similar to the American beefsteak tomato) are the most popular in Campania for making Caprese salad. The type of cheese used varies across the region—in Capri and the nearby Sorrento Peninsula mozzarella made from cow's cheese (fior di latte) is the most popular, while elsewhere in Campania the most common is mozzarella made from buffalo milk.^[4]

In Argentina, a country with a strong Italian influence, the Caprese salad is a typical filling of the empanada.^[7]

• 
  A variety: mozzarella and tomato with vegetable salad
• 
  Caprese salad skewer appetizers
• 
  Caprese salad

See also

• Italy portal
• Food portal

• List of salads
• List of tomato dishes