Campania is the 'shin' of Italy, a region centred around Naples and including Capri. It comprises the provinces of Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, Napoli and Salerno and the islands of Ischia, Capri, Procida and the Pontine Islands. It is renowned for its fertility because of the rich, volcanic soil, and produces hemp, excellent fruit and vegetables and tobacco as well as olives, vines and cereals. Its cuisine includes hearty pasta dishes and pizza was invented here. The area was sufficiently poor that many of its people emigrated, taking with them their traditional cuisine, particularly to the New World. Ancient Campania was much smaller than the present region. Campania was united with Italy in 1861. You will rarely find any dishes with rice in this region. The Amalfi coast provides fish and seafood, which dominates menus in the area, and the famous Amalfi lemons, used in limoncello. Practically everything eaten in the region will contain tomatoes. Mozzarella and provolone are the region's most important cheeses.
