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October 31, 2005

Open-air markets are the heart of Italian cooking

The market in Campo dei Fiori, which translates as "Field of Flowers."

Italians are famous for their mouth-watering cooking. This in itself can inspire almost any college student to abandon the microwave and make time for regular trips to the grocery store.

When I first moved to Rome, however, I was surprised and disappointed by the sparse selection in my downtown supermarket. There was nothing super about it. The produce section was all-in-all overripe, the poultry was nearly bought out, and even my frozen food safety zone had nothing to offer.

Tucked between the winding back streets of the city center are large piazzas, home to the charming open-air markets. These are the hot spots for locals, who spend their mornings choosing the perfect eggplant and socializing with the vendors. Here you can choose from an abundance of nearly any fruit, vegetable or meat your heart desires, an array of fresh flowers and other useful odds and ends.

My best picks for Roman markets:

Campo dei Fiori -- off Corso Vittorio Emanuele near Piazza della Cancelleria.
Mercato Testaccio -- Piazza Testaccio near the Pyramid.
Piazza San Cosimato -- off Via Trastevere and Via Fratte di Trastevere.

Posted by Kelsea  at 4:16 PM | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: JKW at November 4, 2005 11:28 AM

Posted by: Kristen at November 14, 2005 2:10 PM