It may be unassuming from the outside, but wait until you step inside. You won't know which way to turn as there are so many booths to visit. Come take a virtual stroll with me through the Trionfale Market in the Prati neighborhood; a place where lucky locals shop for the freshest everyday groceries.
Imagine being able to buy jugs of Sangiovese for your personal everyday "house wine". sigh. At 1.50 euros per liter........fill 'er up!
Porchetta is a beautiful thing. It's a whole deboned pig, stuffed with fresh herbs that is baked in the oven for endless hours. It can be purchased by the kilo, or sliced into a sandwich. I happened to arrive not long after it had been pulled out of the oven. So lucky me, I just got a free taste. Tender, juicy and delicious. What a lovely way to start the morning.
Salami lover? Me too! This booth was like a Salami Christmas with garlands of dried sausages hanging everywhere. Oh, and if you needed a pig's head or pig ears, those were available for purchase as well.
Cheese lover? Me too! Hard cheeses are perfectly legal to bring back into the U.S. I bought an entire wheel of pecorino here, had it cut into four wedges, and had each wedge vacuum sealed. They were happy to do it for me. When I get home, I can open one wedge at a time, leaving the others safely sealed in the fridge. Whether cut into cubes to consume with wine, or freshly grated on a variety of pasta dishes, pecorino is always delicious. And never toss out the rind when you get to the end. Throw it into your soup pot for added flavor.
Need one egg, or two dozen? It doesn't matter when you buy them by the each! .25 euro cents per egg.
Of course fresh produce is available around every corner. It's artichoke season, thank goodness, as I love them so. I've had one a day since I've been here. You can either buy them whole, or pre-trimmed and ready to cook. They're about one U.S. dollar each. A bargain!
And of course there is a seafood section of the market where you can find the most interesting looking things. You can ask them to clean anything for you, and they are happy to do it.
There are great dry goods as well. Italian cuisine is filled with all kinds of beans, grains and lentils. These are all locally grown, and sure to be delicious.
Thanks for virtually strolling through the market with me. I could have used your real help though, carrying all my purchases home.
Thanks for virtually strolling through the market with me. I could have used your real help though, carrying all my purchases home.
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