Our task this week was to visit the first floor of Mercato Centrale and my wow am I impressed. During one of the first cooking class, we went to visit the second floor which is consist of dining options for meals. The whole floor was filled of stations containing ingredients, fresh produce, spices, wines, olive oils, shark heads, and almost everything under the sun. This grand market shows more than Italian food culture with the addition of a few Asian vendors. I personally really enjoyed the nut vendor, in the second to last photo, and was so tempted to buy some. Besides the smell of the seafood section, it was so interesting seeing massive fish and worst their chopped off heads…still recovering.

The vendors selling dry pasta, olive oil, and regional wines also sparked my interest and I plan to return to purchase some goodies for my friends. I plan to return here due to the lower prices for dry goods and higher quality of meats/cheeses. Although the base products are similar, the quality seems higher due to being a more local spot. It was neat to see regional foods and wines from Tuscany and showed the importance of eating what is in season/available in the Italian diet. Unlike in the states where we can eat strawberries all year long, it was interesting seeing similar fruits and vegetables from each vendor and realizing it is because they rotate produce. I plan on taking my family here when they come to visit in two weeks to share this more local area!

Before heading up to the second floor for lunch, I tried a bruschetta with ham, pesto and a surprise but savory sauce. Then Erin and I shared a very American meal of a hamburger, hotdog, and fries.  It tasted like home 🙂