Eat and live healthier


How To Shop For Food On Holiday In Italy

So you've booked a self-catering holidaystorage and other indignities. May
in Italy on a farm in Tuscany or by abrings strawberries and cherries piled
beach in Liguria? Enjoy exploring thehigh and bright. Peaches and nectarines
flavours of Italy with this basic guidefollow with melons of all varieties. By
to help you enjoy food shopping as partthe time you reach autumn these have
of your holiday experience.been succeeded by heaps of glistening
Traditionally Italians shop every daygrapes, luscious figs and juicy pears.
for what they want to eat that day, asWatch the local signoras carefully
freshness is a big concern to them. Youselecting their fruit and veg and you
won't find huge fridges in most Italianwill get an idea of what is at its best
kitchens, so decide every day as youand what should be left another week
shop, what you want to eat that day,until it is truly in season, ripe and
according to what looks freshest anddelicious.
most appetising in the shops. The shopThe alimentari now- the general grocers
keepers are quite used to selling juststore. You will probably be following
two slices of perfectly slicedthe same group of signoras from shop to
prosciutto, or a small piece of pecorinoshop as they do their morning round.
cheese. You can of course just head to aEverything is here, from tins piled
supermarket and fill your trolley forhigh, to packets of pasta, with a
the week, but shopping the traditionalcounter of cheeses and salamis to be
way in all the little shops is ansliced to your requirements. You can ask
experience not to be missed and you willfor two slices of prosciutto crudo -
gain more cultural understanding thiscured ham, thinly sliced or buy sliced
way, than any amount of museum visitingmeats and cheeses by the etto - a
will provide.generally used term for 100g (about
Follow your nose first to the Forno, for3oz). If you want to have a taste before
crusty white bread, rolls and saltyyou decide to purchase, just ask and a
focaccia, a soft olive oil pizza breadsliver of cheese will be passed over the
cut into squares, that the schoolcounter for you to pronounce judgement
children often stop by for as a morningon. There will also be containers of
snack. Pane integrale is wholewheatherby olives and sundried tomatoes to
bread and becoming more easilybuy by weight. Bottles of mineral water
available. If you don't acquire theand wine will rub shoulders in a corner.
taste for the traditional, unsaltedFor a treat stop by the pasticceria for
bread you can ask for pane salata -a tray of delicious creamy pastries,
salted bread, which is sometimeswhich will be wrapped in paper and
available as a speciality bread.ribbon until they are worthy of the
Next drop by the fruttaverdura - theChristmas tree.
greengrocers. Italy has a wonderfulNow head off for a picnic lunch in an
variety of fruits and vegetables and youolive grove with your spoils, or treat
will find whatever is in season and atyourself to a long lunch in a restaurant
its best. Italians are distrustful ofand keep your shopping for a delicious,
imported food, the more locally grownno-cooking, light supper on the terrace
the better, so most of what is on offerof your apartment.
won't have been subjected to cold



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