Vico nel Lazio is not only known for its art and culture treasuries, but also for its country-style cuisine. If you have never tried "supplì", come to Vico and experience some of the best ones you can find in Italy. The master chef at Bar Pelone is Domenico, proudly showing in the picture above the result of his creation.
Supplì (Italianisation of the French word surprise) are Italian snacks consisting of a ball of rice (generally risotto) with tomato sauce and raw egg, typical of the Roman Cuisine. Originally, they were filled with mincemeat, now also with a piece of mozzarella; the whole morsel is soaked in egg and coated with bread crumbs and then fried (usually deep-fried). The supplì can be also prepared without tomato sauce (Suppli' in bianco).
The dish is native to Rome from the region of Lazio in Italy.
Supplì are usually eaten with the fingers: when one is broken in two pieces, the mozzarella becomes drawn out in a string somewhat resembling the cord connecting a telephone handset to the hook. This has led to these dishes being known as supplì al telefono.