My Story of Supplì and How to Make Them
A Classic Roman Snack
This is my story of supplì and how to make them. The setting is Rome.
Wrapped in a small, white napkin that has been plastificato. I hang onto the napkin holding onto and admiring the treasure that is inside. Its outer edge is fried to a golden, amber color.
What is it? It’s crispy as I bite down. I experience the taste of tomatoes and salt with the texture of rice. Hot, melting mozzarella stretches from my lips to the end of the bite, creating strings of cheese that resemble the cord of a telephone.
It reminds me of something I’ve eaten as a child. But this is better. This is packed full of flavors that are all exploding in my mouth.
Come si chiamano? I ask in my basic understanding of Italian at the time. They respond and tell me that they are called supplì. A classic, Roman snack.
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A Brief History of Supplì
Supplì are known as some of Rome’s most famous type of street food. That makes sense since they were originally sold on the streets back in the 1800’s. And in 1929, a book written by Ada Boni with the title, “La Cucina Romana,” recorded a version of the recipe.
Supplì can be made with all sorts of ingredients giving amazing diversity and variety to this simple snack. However, the classic Roman recipe keeps it simple with marinara sauce, rice, and the surprise of a taste of mozzarella inside. As with many things Italiane, the Romans hold claim to inventing the supplì before the similar arancini were created.
Setting the Stage to Learn
At the time, I was ignorant. I didn’t realize that I was living in and walking the streets of perhaps one of the most classic, Roman neighborhoods in Rome. I was walking into the bar that Pino and his wife had been running for decades. Un cappuccio’ per favore. He’d make me one. But with a wink would add a little splash of something from a large clear bottle. Was this normal?
It can take awhile to begin to really understand a place. The language Italians spoke in my neighborhood was different from the one I was learning during the morning hours when I would ride the bus to my language school that was near the Vatican.
At times, I would question if they were even speaking the same language. In fatto! They weren’t. When I heard my neighbor say “annamo a fa' uno spasso,” I didn’t realize that she was really saying, “Andiamo a fare uno spasso.” Oh the Roman dialect! I hated it then because I didn’t understand it. I love it now.
Isn’t it funny how we can grow to love what we once just didn’t understand? So true in much of life.
An Invitation to Learn How to Make Supplì
Living in a classic, Roman neighborhood, the majority of the people there are classic romani. They aren’t pretentious. Rather, they are what you see. I love that about them. No masks or pretending.
Nadia grew up in the neighborhood. She married, had kids, went to church, and worked in that same place. She bought her fresh produce from the local frutti vendolo like the other loyal customers. Nadia is romana through and through. When she invited me to come to her apartment for supplì-making day, along with her sister and her friend, I couldn’t resist. This was going to be a true Roman experience in the kitchen!
Learning How to Make Supplì in the Little Kitchen
The kitchen was small by American standards. But a 12 foot by 12 foot cucina Italiana is a treasure. The table, located in the center of the kitchen, was extended to full capacity making room for us to work.
We spread out the rice, already cooked and coated in fresh marinara sauce, directly on the top of the table. We spread out the layer so that it could cool enough for us to be able to shape the suppli with our hands. Take the spoon. One large scoop of rice. Grab the euro-sized piece of mozzarella and place into the center of the rice. Hide the cheese by closing the rice around it. Set aside to coat in bread crumbs and fry in the pan. Marvelous!
What Means the Most
That day was so special for me. Like so many of the memories and experiences I hold dear, its the ones where I learned something and felt a part that mean the most. That day, I learned from those who knew. They wanted me to learn. Not because they were superior and needed to teach me. But because they had a tradition. They had a part of their culture that they wanted to pass on. They wanted to pass it on to me. That day, I was a part. I wasn’t just the ragazza americana. I was another donna in cucina.
Isn’t that what we all really want to experience on some level? No matter the application, we just want to be valued. Be included. Be a part.
Your Turn to Learn How to Make Supplì
If you are in Rome, be sure to visit one of these places to taste amazing supplì. If you're at home, no worries. You can make them in your own kitchen.
It is a joy for me to share this part of my story with you and share the recipe I learned along the way. I’ve made supplì many times now in my American kitchen and I hope you will too!
Buon appetito!
xx Sommer
Supplì alla Romana Recipe:
yield: 25-30
Ingredients
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10 oz of arborio or carnaroli rice
1/2 chopped onion
1/3 cup white wine
4 cups of vegetable or beef stock
salt and pepper
tomato puree (or marinara sauce seasoned with basil leaves)
1/3-1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
coin-sized cubes of mozzarella (or mozzarella pearls)
fine bread crumbs
oil for frying
Instructions
Chop the onion and fry in a pan with the olive oil.
Once the onion is translucent, add the rice and cook while stirring until the rice is also somewhat translucent (about 3 minutes).
Add the white wine and let evaporate.
Add the liquid stock 1 cup at a time while stirring the mixture on medium low heat until the rice is al dente. Add salt and pepper.
Add the tomato sauce to the cooked rice along with the parmigiano. The consistency should be rather thick and sticking together, but thin enough to spread.
Spread the rice mixture about 1/4-1/2" thick onto parchment paper or a table allowing the mixture to cool slightly.
When you can work the rice with your hands, use a large spoon and form an egg shape of the rice into the palm of your hand. Place a coin-sized piece of mozzarella in the center and close the rice around it making an a full egg shape.
Coat the "eggs" of rice in fine bread crumbs and fry in oil until golden brown. Repeat this process until you have fried each supplì.