Mercato Centrale
(Vacation day four, continued.) Plan A was to take a tour of the central food market on this morning, but to my disgust, no one else signed up, and the tour was called off. I dropped by the market anyway and was delighted to see the variety on display--upstairs, fruit and vegetables; downstairs, meat, cheese, seafood, dry goods, and places to grab a quick bowl of pasta or a sandwich. In the photo at left, this shop had a fine array of cheeses and meats--those things hanging over the counter are prosciuttos and furry venison haunches. Across the way was a stall selling mostly tripe (right).
I picked up some Sicilian olives and piave cheese to snack on, but I was a bit overwhelmed and wished I'd had a guide to show me the best stuff and hidden treats. There are at least a few options: I'd intended to take Context Florence's market walk (there's also a food crawl); Divina Cucina offers all-day (and longer) classes that include market tours; or if you just want to cook, Florence for Fun has a regular menu of hands-on courses. Next trip, I guess....
