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There are two common truths: Italians take meals guidelines extra critically than soccer followers take penalties, and the remainder of the world can’t cease posting footage of pasta. Someplace between #foodporn and #carbonara, Roman delicacies has quietly taken over Instagram feeds—and nonna is each proud and barely horrified.
Rome, the Everlasting Metropolis, has given us extra than simply ruins and gelato-stained white sneakers. It’s additionally gifted us a lineup of iconic dishes which can be photogenic, deeply satisfying, and oh-so-easy to get improper in case you don’t play by Italian guidelines.
However how did we determine which dishes are actually essentially the most Instagrammed? We didn’t simply belief hashtags—we crunched the numbers. Every dish was ranked on each Instagram and TikTok by how usually it confirmed up, then scored utilizing this method:
- Instagram Percentile = RANK(IG depend) ÷ Complete variety of dishes
- Instagram Rating = Instagram Percentile × 50
- TikTok Percentile = RANK(TT depend) ÷ Complete variety of dishes
- TikTok Rating = TikTok Percentile × 50
- Complete Rating = Instagram Rating + TikTok Rating (out of 100)
The consequence? A feed-worthy leaderboard of Roman classics that aren’t solely scrumptious in actual life but in addition absolute gold on the ’gram (and TikTok, in fact). So, let’s break down the Prime 10 Most Instagrammed Roman dishes—together with the “unwritten legal guidelines” Italians need you to recollect (however know you’ll break anyway).
1. Carbonara
“No garlic, onion, Swiss cheese, cream!”
The undisputed queen of Roman pastas. Egg yolks, pecorino Romano, guanciale, and black pepper. That’s it. No cream. No peas. No garlic. In case you see cream within the image? Congratulations—you’ve simply dedicated culinary heresy.
Why it’s Instagram gold: That shiny yolk sauce clinging to spaghetti prefer it was born for the.
2. Crostata di Ricotta
“Crostata di ricotta e visciole (ricotta and bitter cherry tart) is …. a creamy layer of candy whey cheese, beneficiant coating of jam and thick shortcrust concealing a secret.”
A country tart full of sweetened ricotta, Crostata di Ricotta is amongst Rome’s favourite desserts. It’s crumbly, creamy, and generally kissed with citrus zest or chocolate. Instagram loves it for the powdered sugar dusting that makes it seem like an Italian postcard.
Why it’s Instagram Gold: That good powdered sugar dusting makes each slice seem like an Italian vacation postcard.
3. Cacio e Pepe
“Cacio e pepe … could possibly be the best factor within the historical past of the world.”
Anthony Bourdain
Minimalism at its most mouthwatering: pasta, pecorino, and black pepper. The problem? Making the sauce creamy with out a drop of cream. Get it improper and also you’ve obtained tacky clumps; get it proper and also you’ve obtained viral content material. Attempt a pasta-making class in Rome and also you’re midway there!
Why it’s Instagram Gold: A slow-motion toss within the pan turns cheese and pepper into pure pasta porn.
4. Stracciatella alla Romana
“Drink this broth, it’s good for you.”
Not Roman gelato—this one’s soup! Egg ribbons floating in scorching broth, easy but comforting. It’s much less flashy than a heaping bowl of pasta, however close-up photographs of these delicate strands will nonetheless rack up the likes.
Why it’s Instagram Gold: Shut-ups of silky egg strands swirling in golden broth = edible consolation content material
5. Bucatini all’Amatriciana
“It could possibly be mentioned that bucatini all’amatriciana and spaghetti alla carbonara are the ‘Romulus and Remus‘ of Roman cooking”
Tomato, guanciale, pecorino, and a bit chili warmth. The actual star? Bucatini pasta—like spaghetti however with a gap down the center. (Sure, it sprays sauce in all places. No, you’ll be able to’t eat it gracefully on a date or non-public meals tour within the Everlasting Metropolis.)
Why it’s Instagram Gold: Vivid scarlet sauce + chunky pasta = daring coloration pop for the feed.
6. Maritozzi
“If Rome might have an edible mascot, it could be the maritozzo … Ostentatious and but sweetly unassuming, the maritozzo defines the Roman persona.”
Rome’s Maritozzi is its sweetest responsible pleasure: pillowy buns break up open and full of whipped cream. They’re mainly made for Instagram as a result of the extra overstuffed they appear, the higher. Italians, in fact, will decide whether or not your cream-to-bun ratio is on level.
Why it’s Instagram Gold: The extra the cream spills out, the extra likes you rack up. Extra = success.
7. Fiori di Zucca Fritti
“Fiori di zucca fritti are Italy’s basic fried meals … full of mozzarella, herbs, and lemon zest, and are ubiquitous as starters in Roman pizzerias”
The final native meals in Rome, Fried zucchini blossoms are full of mozzarella and anchovy – Crispy, golden, and delicate. Chunk in, pull aside, and watch the cheese stretch—Instagram perfection.
Why it’s Instagram Gold: Fried flowers that ooze cheese? Mainly edible supermodels.
8. Pasta alla Gricia
“Solely use dried semolina pastas, and by no means recent egg (pasta all’uovo) or recent semolina pastas, for pasta alla gricia.”
Carbonara with out the egg, amatriciana with out the tomato. Simply guanciale, pecorino, and black pepper. Easy, salty, and satisfying—and but one way or the other one of the crucial criminally underrated Roman dishes exterior of Italy. It’s undoubtedly a must-try meals in Rome.
Why it’s Instagram Gold: That rustic simplicity—pepper-speckled pasta with glistening guanciale—is effortlessly photogenic.
9. Supplì al Telefono
“Supplì is usually confused with its cousin, arancini, which is extra frequent in Sicily, and whereas they’re comparable, there are many variations in relation to fillings and shapes”
Rome’s iconic fried rice balls with mozzarella inside. The nickname “al telefono” comes from the gooey cheese stretch that appears like an old-school phone wire. (Youthful Instagrammers will simply name it a cheese pull and transfer on.) Attempt it on a twilight tour of Rome.
Why it’s Instagram Gold: The cheese stretch. No pull, no publish.
10. Spiedini alla Romana
“It’s deep-fried mozzarella and bread that we’re basting with lemon, anchovy, white wine, and tomato. It’s like a glorified grilled cheese.”
Bread, mozzarella, anchovies—layered, skewered, and fried. Consider them as Rome’s savory reply to kebabs, solely far more indulgent. The proper road meals in Rome.
Why it’s Instagram Gold: Cross-sections that present gooey cheese stacked between crispy bread = the final word handheld chew shot.
Why the World Fell in Love With Roman Meals
Roman meals is unfussy. It’s a couple of handful of elements handled with respect, custom, and perhaps a number of side-eyes from the locals once you sprinkle Parmesan on Roman seafood. Italians might guard their meals guidelines like nationwide secrets and techniques, nevertheless it’s exactly that zeal for doing issues “the best method” that has made the world fall so onerous.
Instagram might have topped carbonara queen, however on the coronary heart of each dish is what Romans have recognized all alongside: meals is tradition, historical past, and a bit little bit of angle served on a plate.
So go forward—publish that cheese pull, the powdered sugar close-up, or the cream-stuffed maritozzo whilst you’re loving life on a Rome meals tour. Simply don’t tag your location in case you ate it with a cappuccino after midday.
