Everyone needs a great fruttivendolo!

If you have the luxury of staying for a week or longer in one place, make friends with your fruttivendolo, which translates to greengrocer. It is an absolute joy seeing so much on display that is fresh and seasonal. This is one of the reasons that Italian cuisine is so good because Italians tend not to eat produce fuori stagione - out of season.

Open air markets close around midday, so your fruttivendolo is a great opportunity to buy fresh, local fruits and veggies that you wouldn’t find at the average supermarket. They are family run businesses and once you get to know them, happy to pass on life-changing cooking tips and suggestions. Who knew that there are two kinds of fennel: the feminine type, slender-looking and served raw in salads, and the masculine type which is bulgier and best kept for cooking. And always keep your tomatoes at room temperature to preserve the taste.

Put your trust in your fruttivendolo, as they will select the best produce for you. Remember, you shouldn’t touch the fruit and vegetables!

Around 40% of Italians still do their everyday shopping at piccoli negozi, or little shops. The fruttivendolo is just one stop on the list. Next comes: la macelleria (the butcher shop), la pescheria (the fish shop), la pasticceria (the pastry shop), il panificio (the bakery), il negozio di fiori (the flower shop). Okay, shopping may take a little longer, but it’s all so intimate and friendly and conversational. Even old fashioned and so different to racing in and out of supermarkets.

Best food markets in Rome

Campo dei Fiori

The most colourful market in Rome’s centro storico was once a site for public executions, but today it is a bustling, busy piazza with wonderful fruit and vegetable stalls, oils, vinegars, spices, pasta and many stalls selling everything from vegetable graters to teaspoons.

The historic square, whose name translates to “Field of Flowers”, has been a hub of commercial and cultural activity since the Renaissance. Presiding over the square is a statue of Giordano Bruno who was a 16th century friar, philosopher, mathematician, poet and astrologer. Due to his cosmological findings and nonconformist beliefs, the Roman Inquisition accused him of heresy and burned him at the stake in Campo dei Fiori in 1600. In 1889 the bronze statue was erected to commemorate the Italian philosopher. In recent years, the Vatican has softened its stance against Bruno, falling just short of a full pardon. I digress.

Campagna Amica Market

Tucked away in a building you could easily miss behind the Circus Maximus is the Campagna Amica weekend farmers’ market that has over 60 stalls with a tantalising array of organic, local products sold directly from the producer. All of the produce is made or grown within 100 kilometres from the market, so mainly comes from the region of Lazio. Farmers, cheese-makers and artisans proudly sell their produce and offer free tastings. There is a courtyard with food stalls where you can sit and eat which just happens to have a very cool view over a 4th century arch. Of course it does.

Mercato Centrale

I’m never keen to arrive too early at a train station, but at Termini Station in Rome, I make an effort to be early. Mercato Centrale is one of the best food markets in Rome open 365 days a year from 8:00am until midnight!

After the success of the market in Florence, Mercato Centrale opened in Rome in October 2016. In large rectangular space with 100 feet high vaulted ceilings, there are around 20 artisanal food stalls selling everything from cornetti to pizza to gelato. There is lots of seating, so it’s perfect for a snack, meal or aperitivo before catching a train.

Mercato Testaccio

Short of time and wish you could try the best of what Rome has to offer in one place? Open Monday to Saturday from 7:00am to 3:30pm, the Testaccio food market is the perfect place to taste Roman street food. This is a big market with nearly 100 stalls, most of which cater to locals’ traditional appetites. The freshness, abundance and affordability is fantastic, but it only makes you wish you were staying for at least a week to enjoy all that you are tempted to buy.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb