As P and I have been to Rome before on this trip we decided to go off the beaten track to the south of Rome - Testaccio! We meet our guide, an young American woman who had been living in Rome for 4 years. She brought us on a 4 hour food tour of Testaccio explaining why it's considered rude to order a cappuccino after lunch time and that if you order a pepperoni pizza you will get one with bell peppers only! We stopped in around 10 locations, all of which were rich in culture and family heritage. Most of these locations were 4 generation owned. We visited a local market, learned to make bruschetta,watched how fresh cannolis were made and tasted 10 year old basilic vinegar. The culture of Italian food could be understood from the history of this little town, which was primarily a port that had a large slaughter house at its center. Back in the day, when the owners of the slaughter house were unable to pay wages to their workers, non saleable meat would be given..Intestines,liver and other organs which make up the staple Italian diet of today.
Our final stop on the tour was my favorite - Gelato! We were brought to a quaint little shop that had, what is far from the voluptuous and vibrant gelato one would see on the cobbled street outside the Trevi fountain! In fact it was dull and flat - which were signs that we were having authentic gelato free of preservatives and chemicals and yet very rich in taste! Nom nom nom!
Arrivederci Roma!
A true foodie's delight!