Flavors · Capri

Insalata caprese

Cold dish of alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella, with basil leaves and olive oil. Red, white and green, it is named after the island of Capri, where it is said to have originated according to the most cited accounts.

Traditional dish from Capri, Campânia

Also known as: caprese

Updated November 2026

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Insalata caprese — Capri, Italy — Insalata caprese

Insalata caprese — Capri, Italy

Insalata caprese is made with few ingredients: ripe tomatoes sliced, buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte cut to the same thickness, fresh basil leaves, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Some regional recipes add a pinch of oregano. The colors recall those of the Italian flag.

Accounts of the origin agree that the dish was created in Capri, but they differ as to when. One tells of a local mason who, after the war, out of patriotic feeling, put tomato, mozzarella and basil inside bread as a work snack. Another places the dish in the early 1920s, at a dinner linked to the futurists at a hotel on the island, served to the poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, who criticized pasta. None of the versions is securely documented.

The dish depends on the quality of the ingredients: very ripe tomatoes and fresh, well-drained mozzarella. It can be an appetizer, a side dish or, with bread, a light meal. In Capri and the Naples area it also appears served inside bread, as the caprese sandwich.

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Where it comes from

Capri , Campânia
The dish is named after the island, and origin accounts place it in Capri in the 20th century.

Ingredients

Ripe tomato, buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and salt; sometimes oregano.

How it is eaten

Cold or at room temperature, as an appetizer, side dish or light meal with bread. It is also served inside bread.

When it is eaten

Mostly in the warm months, when tomatoes are riper, but it is served year-round.

Your questions

Questions about Insalata caprese

What goes into insalata caprese?

Tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil and salt. Some recipes add oregano.

Is insalata caprese from Capri?

The name means ‘from Capri,’ and origin accounts place the dish on the island in the 20th century, although versions and dates vary.

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