Supplì
(Supplì al Telefono, Supplì alla Romana)
Widely considered to be one of Rome's best street foods, these breaded, deep-fried rice croquettes are in fact quite similar to the Sicilian arancini, but unlike which, Roman supplì are traditionally filled with mozzarella, and the rice is pre-simmered in a tomato-based meat sauce.
In Rome, they are popularly known as supplì al telefono, taking their name from an Italianization of the French word for surprise and the long strings of molten cheese that resemble a telephone cord — the surprise that is revealed when you break one of these crispy rice balls open.
However, these delectable rice fritters hail back to a time long before the telephone — the name apparently originated during the Napoleonic occupation of Italy in the late 18th century, while the first written mention of supplì was found on the menu of Rome's Trattoria della Lepre from 1874. Read more
Back then, they were filled with provatura Romana cheese, chicken giblets, or mincemeat, and were supposedly the favorite afternoon snack of James Joyce, who lived in Rome at the time. Even today, the Roman supplì remains an unmissable crunchy treat for anyone visiting Italy's capitale.
They are served in numerous friggitorias - street eateries that serve fried snacks known as fritti, but they have also become a classic antipasto, and are featured on pizzeria and trattoria menus all over town.
