Food- The Food Market

Italian food and wine is just as big as Italian art and architecture, and I expect to devour as much of this city as I can during my brief stay.  Already I have expanded my pallet beyond what I believed possible.  I have tried things I never even thought to eat, and enjoyed more delicious versions of dishes I have previously eaten.  I will go over everything in a more refined and analytical section later in my blog, but for now, I want to touch on today's happenings specifically.

Yesterday morning, I woke my roommate up early and together we walked twenty minutes to the giant food market here in Florence.  We were met with scents of fresh meat and fish on ice, sticky-sweet pastries, and spices of every kind.  The ground floor was set up in a loose grid shape of meat markets, veggie and cheese markets, candy shops, and wine stores.  On the first floor- second floor, if you're in the States- is a plethora of restaurants, bars, and gelaterias that you can't get enough of.  Walking through the building is a fulfilling experience in itself, but I couldn't walk away empty handed.

I knew I wanted to make a sandwich, and so I got to work.  From one deli I bought prosciutto- a raw, cured ham- and from another I purchased delicious buffalo mozzarella swimming in a bowl of whey.  After a few more ingredients (fresh bread, arugula, tomatoes, and pesto) I was able to make myself a delicious sandwich.

Then again today, my class took a walking tour of Florence that ended at this same building.  Unfortunately the ground shops close at 2pm, so instead we headed up to the first floor with the assignment to ask around and try traditional Tuscan dishes.  After scuffling about for a few minutes, we all met up stuffing our faces with various finds.  One of my roommates returned with panzanella- a salad traditionally made with stale, leftover bread that is soaked in water, and tossed with cheeses, basil, and tomatoes.  Another member of our group from EIU tried the number one Florence street food: lampredotto.  Lampredotto is a sandwich made with prepared tripe with salsa verde (an herby sauce).  I personally had a variation of a cannolo, which is traditionally made with sweet ricotta stuffed into a sugary, deep-fried roll.  However, the one I had was actually stuffed with gelato and chocolate chips.

I hope to try each of the other dishes before I leave, and to find others to try. Tonight, around 2am, I have an alarm set to go find one of the rumored "secret" bakeries in Florence.  If all goes well, I will create a post going into more detail on the matter.  

Until then,

Ciao!

My prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella panini.