On Thursday, my friends took me to a smaller, less touristy market in the Santa Croce area of Florence called Sant’Ambrogio. It is similar to the Mercato centrale except it is smaller and all of the fresh produce is sold outside under tents. There was also something different about the atmosphere as well. There was an abundance of local people: old ladies yelling at the macellaio for cutting their prosiutto too thick, young couples buying fresh fruit while pushing their children around in strollers, or a group of butchers standing outside taking a break over a cup of espresso and a cigar. It was a colorful, sensational experience that I will not soon forget. And that was just on the outside. The inside was filled with tiny, individualized stands each of which specialized in something different. We goggled at the floral displays of ravioli, tortellini, and various other handmade pastas that I could not begin to remember let alone pronounce and I will definitely be going back to get some ravioli stuffed with pear and pecorino cheese (if your mouth is not watering right now you should know that you are officially deranged and should seek medical attention). But I stopped myself and only purchased a variety of fresh pears, a few onions, some chicken, and a good amount of basmati rice (stay tuned for my friend, Aviva’s thai curry dinner!) for that night’s dinner.
I love going to the market because it is more than just shopping for food. You are experiencing where the food comes from, the people who make it or grow it, and you are spending less money and saving the fuel and plastic it takes to ship the same food to supermarkets and grocery stores. It is a colorful, fresh, flavorful, local way to get acquainted with a city and it’s people and I would highly suggest it even if you are just visiting.
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| Prosciutto |
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| Prosciutto being hand-sliced |
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| Seasoned pancetta |
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| Ravioli pecorino e pere |
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| Pasta fatti a mano |
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| Riso |
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Sorry to gross you out but this is a
huge part of the mercato experience |
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