Yesterday I had so much fun exploring the Mercato Centrale! I was immediately blown away by how extensive the market was, with all the vendors and how well-stocked each one was. I was so intrigued by how each vendor seemed to specialize in something, and no two vendors looked exactly the same. I think the market was different from street vendors in that there were so many options in terms of different foods. I’ve been to a couple farmer’s markets in Florence, and there was just so much stuff in Mercato Centrale that I didn’t even know where to begin. Both Mercado Centrale and the street vendors I’ve seen have sold similar items, but I think the key difference overall was the quantity. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that many of the vendors sold ready-to-eat food as well as produce.
I think the most unique thing I saw were the wine vendors. I was pleasantly surprised to find people selling homemade wines not necessarily from a large vineyard. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and I am absolutely planning to go again. It also reminded me a bit of the produce markets I’d seen a lot of in Asia, and seeing the layout of the whole market made me so happy. I think this visit was very important to the class because it’s good to see where a wide selection of produce can be found. I also thought it was valuable in general to see the market since there isn’t any other place like it to find such a wide selection.
