If you have read any of my last posts, you’ve probably figured out that I like to cook. As I began to settle in Rome, going out became expensive and quite frankly repetitive. So, early in my trip, I decided to cook as much as I could during my time here. But just like back home, groceries started to add up. I had to do a lot of trial and error to find not only the freshest ingredients, but the least expensive. So, join me as I recount the freshest and most cost-effective places I have shopped for fresh food in Rome.
1. Nuovo Mercato Esquilino
My favorite thing in Italy by far is the open-air markets throughout the city. It was refreshing to get away from the normal supermarket setting that I was accustomed to back home. As you enter, you are bombarded with the scents of fresh fruit, meats and seafood. All the vendors call out to you in hopes that you buy from them, but you must scope out the land before you make your choice. This market is where I found fruits and spices that I had never seen at home before. I was able to buy a pound of fresh prawns for only €4; If you shop in America, you know how much of a deal that is! I can spend less than €10 and leave with a myriad of things.
The Esquilino market specifically is in a robust Arab neighborhood close to my apartment and after leaving the market, I can shop for more spices, incense, and hair oils in the surrounding neighborhood. I enjoy this market the most because of the neighborhood it is in, and the fact that I can support small businesses of migrants living in Italy. When I thought about where I wanted to spend my money, I really wanted to follow the theme of staying local. This was the first market that I had experienced like that, and while they exist all throughout Rome and Italy, this soon became my favorite one.
2. Fromageries for the cheese girls
It’s not difficult to find cheese in supermarkets within Rome. However, if you’re like me, you are very particular about the quality of cheese you consume. So, one of my favorite things to do is go to a formaggeria that is near my apartment as well. Unlike chain supermarkets, it’s easier to sample the product before you buy it. I also like these places because you can bargain and get a little discount if you’re persuasive enough. Fromageries are another way I support small shops and save money getting good quality products.
But if you’re worried about putting your Italian skills to test in the vendor form of shopping, there are still options available. As I got comfortable with the setup in Rome, I did shop in chain supermarkets a few times. This is also a beneficial way to scope out the difference in products sold in Rome versus the US. Since everything is in Italian, this was an effective way for me to figure out the names of common ingredients like butter, milk and cream for instance.
But some of the freshest fruits you will find are right around you. Italy, unlike the US, has female trees meaning that there is an abundance of fruit trees throughout neighborhoods. From clementines and likes to pomegranates- fresh fruit is around in abundance. And most owners of said trees don’t mind if you pick a few fruits to enjoy. Seeing fruit growing in the most random setting is something that made me fall in love with Rome. As I walk home enjoying a clementine from a neighbor’s tree, I know that I will miss this aspect of Rome a lot. Getting acquainted with my local fruit and meat vendors and picking fresh fruit will always come to mind when I think of my time in Italy.If you are interested in some of the meals I have cooked during my time I Rome, check out my other post!
