Procida’s food is honest and rooted in the sea and its famous lemons. Forget elaborate tourist menus: here it’s about the day’s catch and a citrus so distinctive it flavours both savoury dishes and desserts. These are the tastes to seek out.
The lemon salad
The island’s signature dish, insalata di limoni, is made with the local “pane” lemons — big, thick-skinned and sweet enough to eat. Sliced and dressed with garlic, chilli, mint, oil and salt, it’s served as a starter or side: fresh, surprising and unlike anything you’ve had elsewhere.
Fresh fish
As a fishing island, Procida serves the sea straight from the boat: spaghetti with shellfish, grilled catch of the day, seafood antipasti and simple pasta with clams. The trattorias of the Corricella and Marina Grande are the places to try it, often at fairer prices than the more touristy islands.
The lingua di Procida
The sweet symbol of the island: the lingua di Procida, a long, crisp puff pastry (shaped like a tongue) filled with lemon custard. Found in the bakeries and cafés, it’s the perfect way to end a meal or snack while strolling the alleys — the island’s lemons in dessert form.
Wine and produce
Beyond lemons, the island grows vines on its terraces, and a glass of local white wine pairs beautifully with the fish. Look too for limoncello and lemon-based sweets, and the small artisan producers whose jams and preserves make good, genuine gifts to take home.
Tips for tasting
Eat where the locals eat, away from the busiest tourist corners, and ask what came in that morning. A Corricella table with a view costs a little more but is worth it once. Finish any meal with a lingua di Procida and a coffee — the most Procidan way to close the day.
Frequently asked questions
What do you eat in Procida?
Seafood dishes and lemon flavours: fresh fish, spaghetti with shellfish, the famous lemon salad (made with the island’s sweet, fleshy “pane” lemons), and for dessert the “lingua di Procida”, a pastry filled with lemon cream. All accompanied by the local wine.
What is Procida’s lemon salad?
It’s a typical island dish made with the large local lemons known as “pane” or “sfusato procidano”, with thick, sweet skin, sliced and dressed with garlic, chilli, mint, oil and salt. Fresh and surprising, it’s eaten as a starter or side: a unique flavour that tells the story of the island of lemons.
What is the “lingua di Procida”?
It’s the island’s signature dessert: an elongated (tongue-shaped) crisp pastry filled with lemon custard. You’ll find it in the bakeries and cafés of Procida, and it’s the most delicious way to end a meal or have a snack while strolling the alleys.
Is the fish in Procida fresh?
Yes, Procida is a fishermen’s island and the seafaring tradition is alive: many trattorias, especially at the Corricella and Marina Grande, serve the day’s catch. It’s one of the best places in the Gulf to eat genuine fish, often at fairer prices than on the more touristy islands.
Arrive hungry, arrive on time
Before that fish lunch on the Corricella, there’s the crossing. A private transfer gets you to the port punctually, so nothing spoils the plan.
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