Lemme talk about the food here in Italy for a sec...
Wild, right? I think you could just go on a food tour of this country and literally have a blast. Everything is so fresh and delicious - ugh I will miss it for sure!
For class this week I read this delightful little article on what Italians can teach the world about food, cooking, and of course, eating: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/29/6-things-italian-women-teach-us-food_n_3823178.html?guccounter=2. And I've got some thoughts of my own to add to it... (the numbered "rules" below are from the article; the rest is my response)
1. Consider food part of your lifestyle
Done. Literally so much of our conversation each day revolves around what to eat haha. And picking the perfect restaurant when we are out on a day/weekend trip is always quite a process with a very intense analysis of the menus and prices.
I mean, how could you not come to Italy and want to eat everything?! Fresh pizza and pasta from the homeland? Incredible. I don't know how else to describe it other than food is important here. You gotta build in some time for quality meals.
2. Invest in what you're eating
Food here can start to add up after a while, and I definitely had to watch when I was eating out to not blow my whole budget, haha. But, that being said, I appreciate that you get quality for what you pay for! Meals might be a bit pricey, but you're ultimately not going to regret it.
It's not quite the same as eating all of the heavy food back home. Here, you pay more, but I'd say you feel better after and enjoy it more. Not a bad deal!
3. Eat locally and seasonally.
Guys, the produce here... I know my Snap Story has been continuously littered with shots of gelato since I arrived, but I gotta say, the fruit is absolutely ah-mazing! For starters, I've had some of the best cherries EVER here and only paid $1.30 USD equivalent for a whole carton. I've had fresh kiwi and nectarines (all also super inexpensive!) for breakfast nearly every day and I love it.
Plus, when I do eat in, I love making a fresh salad with some chopped tomatoes, chicken, mozzarella, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Delicious. And it's all so much better because it's fresh!
I do find the produce tends to go bad faster, but that does mean less preservatives are used so it's not a bad trade-off! It's kinda fun to go to the grocery store and check out what fruit is on sale and stock up for the week, knowing it will be nice and ripe naturally.
4. If you cook, keep it simple.
I'm gonna be honest, I didn't get super fancy in the kitchen here. It was hard to find everything I'm used to at the grocery store plus I didn't want to spend all my time cooking... That being said, even some simple little meals were great!
Those salads I mentioned making? Bomb. Amazing how a bit of mozzarella and chicken suddenly made a pile of lettuce soooo much more appetizing. And pepperoni with mozzarella on crackers was my quick go-to lunch but actually pretty good!
5. Slow down.
All right, so here's one Italian food rule I've got mixed opinions on...
You could spend a couple hours easy at a meal here. The whole structure of eating out is very different here and designed to be a lot more slow and relaxed which at times can be pretty nice!
Everyone hates the feeling of being rushed in a restaurant as if the waiters just want you to be done so they can flip the table, so I did appreciate that that experience never really happened during my time in Italy.
Waiters here also don't really come over to you a whole lot after you get your food. No bugging or trying to hurry you through it. However, it also wouldn't be common then for them to come check how your food is or offer to get you anything else like sauces. You're on your own to eat.
Like I said, part of this is really nice. On the flipside though, I often felt like you had to hunt the waiters down to get the bill. They won't automatically bring it to you or even ask if you want it. You've gotta find them and call them over and ask. And it wasn't uncommon for us to ask two or three times and wait 10-15 minutes before it was even brought.
I suppose that's just their culture, which certainly has it's positive aspects. To me, I do appreciate a bit more promptness with this though - especially for the days when we were busy or had plans! On a few occasions we thought we had plenty of time for lunch and then ended up being late to our next thing because it took so long to get the bill and pay.
It's also kinda weird to me to finish your food and just sit there talking for an hour at an empty table. Not that you have to run out of a restaurant. But I suppose I'm more used to finishing and then moving on. If I want to hang, I'll have people over after or go visit rather than socialize within the restaurant. Apparently that's not as common for people to go to each others' houses here, so again, another cultural preference...
So with this, I think it's important to just appreciate things as they are. Both America and Italy have some differences here, and I think there's valuable aspects to both. I enjoyed the laid back attitude here with eating, and that helped me to really soak in some fun times with others and the beautiful views around me. And when I'm back home, I'm sure I'll appreciate when the bill shows up at my table without too much work on my end.
6. Eating with others makes most meals a whole lot better.
I wouldn't say this is necessarily something only Italians do... Even if we eat alone back in the U.S. at times, most people I know definitely like sharing food with friends and family! Maybe it doesn't happen all the time, but I'd agree it makes everything better.
Meals were a great way for all of us to bond here while abroad. It's easy to get a group together and go try someplace new. Plus, you get a taste of even more food so that's always a benefit ;).
All in all, food has definitely enhanced my experience of Italy. I think my stomach will miss being here quite a bit!