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In Florence, the place to go for shopping is the Mercato Centrale. This market, located not far from the train station, has anything you could possibly want in the form of produce, fish, and meats, and local fare. The treasures of the sea are offered in a special sector and the meat section is not to be missed.
Not far you can also find things like shoes, underwear, slips, dresses, men’s clothes and flowers. Indeed, markets like the Mercato Centrale fulfill the needs of daily life.
Markets like this one gives you another kind of shopping experience. Going to buy is an event, it’s slow paced and a great way to catch up on the local gossip and happenings. Also, instead of buying meat all neatly packaged in cellophane, where one kind is distinguished from the other only by a label… get personal with your food. Go and stare at it in the eye. No mistake in what you are buying there!
Not when the poultry still has its head and some feathers and small animals like rabbits come with their fur. But that is not all, walk around and you will find shiny freshly-caught fish, calf and pig snouts, ears, feet, tails and other parts. Whether you are a chef or just love to eat: it’s all there to take home for an exotic meal.
- Contributed by Susan Di Bonaventura. Susan leads private culinary tours, teaches cooking classes, has published recipes and stories in “Live, Laugh, Cook”, and has owned and operated Private Affairs Catering, an off premise catering business near Philadelphia, since 1984.
Great article! Makes me want to go back to Italy.
This has to be THE best place in Florence!! So soothing, delicious and right in with the locals!!!
The “local gossip” is a bit of a stretch, but it is the greatest! The indoor Farmers Market on the Main Line is the American version. I wonder what the Italian equivalent of scrapple is?
Just wanted to say thanks – mille grazie – for the daily “fix”. My family and I lived in Rome for a year and a half, and have been back in the States for nearly that long. Seattle will always be my first home; but Rome is a very close second!
One name for scrapple in Italian is soppressata which I am now able to make again with the introduction of Hispanic and Asian markets near my home in Berkeley, California; as with scrapple soppressata can be thick sliced and fried. At all, I repeat ALL, markets in Italy, big or small, you are furnished with recipes upon request, always handwritten on wrapping paper, it’s wise when food shopping to be carrying your own pen and notebook being other shoppers are happy to share their recipes… The photo of the tripe with pig feet reminded me that I have those two meats in the freezer and I’ll make tripe–”trippa”– tomorrow; my mother and grandmother would always put a pig foot in for its gelatinous properties. One thing I really do miss outside of Italy is the small talk encountered between not only the store clerks but also with the customers waiting in line. Thank you for the wonderful article and photos!!
This was written with locals and not travelers in mind. I visit Italy but don’t live there so am not likely to go looking for a pig’s snout, and since my Italian is mediocre I’m not offered much local gossip.