1. Rome: Testaccio Market Tour and Tastings
Testaccio, one of Rome’s most charming neighborhoods, has a long history of classic Roman cuisine. This district has been at the center of Rome’s food trade from the city’s earliest days. Testaccio’s neighborhood symbol, the amphorae (jars), were once filled with olive oil and wine coming from all over the Roman Empire. Times have certainly changed but Testaccio’s culinary culture remains the same. At least in terms of importance. Today’s modern food market and delicatessen stores have transformed Testaccio into one of the most trendiest, liveliest, and most interesting neighborhoods in Rome. Scratch below the surface on your Testaccio food tour Our Testaccio food tour offers you the chance to eat like a local and taste the Roman food classics you won’t find on the tourist menus. As a backdrop to your culinary adventure, you have Testaccio’s distinct architecture consisting of historical peculiar parts such at the Monte dei Cocci and the Pyramid to more recent revitalized arts and cultural centers. On this tour, you will visit the food market and the neighborhood starting from one of Rome’s oldest delis to eat unique prosciutto and truffle salami. You will taste supplì, a favorite Roman street food, and fried typical delicatessen, experience a Roman pasta such as Cacio e Pepe or Amatriciana, as well as discover new takes on classic bollito meat or typical stewed chicken. Sample the savory delicacies of Testaccio Market Depending on the season, Testaccio Market will greet you with crates overflowing with Roman Zucchini with their delicious flowers ready to be fried. Another seasonal speciality are Rome’s green artichokes and piles of chicoria – a quintessential ingredient you can’t miss when in Rome. While enjoying some of Testaccio’s delicacies, like baccalà, supplì and even some artisanal gelato, we’ll indulge in some of Testaccio’s history, nourishing ourselves with stories of the famous poets like Shelley and Keats who rest in peace nearby in the Protestant Cemetery of Testaccio. Marvel at the Pyramid of Gaius Cestius Our Testaccio Food tour will take us past one of the most impressive tombs of ancient Rome: the Pyramid of Cestius. Dating to the first century BC, the pyramid once contained the remains of an Augustan-era magistrate of one of Rome’s main religious organizations. Its Egyptian style might strike you as strange, but in fact during this period Egyptian fashion was all the rage (just look at all the Egyptian obelisks dotted around the city). Our Testaccio food tour promises an experience beyond the flashes and the crowds of the historical center. It is a tour that will warm the heart as well as satisfy the stomach, enriching you with unforgettable stories to bring back with you.