Another trip to Italy (Part9): Market

When I stay somewhere in a few weeks on holidays, there is one thing I always do and enjoy: Go to a grocey market to find local products and prepare meals at an appartment.
When I was young, from 19 to 23, I used to challenge new activities and sport, for example, bamgee-jumping, water-skiing in Australia, river-rafting in Switzerland, horse-riding in Italy. Now, I have to think about consequences of these activities. So, now I tend to do more intellectual activities: visiting musemums and concerts. And exploring food culture.

In the first week, I was disappointed by products sold at supermarkets. In Spain, there is "Great" Corte Ingles and in UK, a "Super" waitrose where I can get high quality and gourmet foodstuff.
I first thought I would never make it to do grocery shopping at the market as lesson finishes at 13:00 and the market closes at 14:00. Because I usually enjoy just watching in first hour and then decide to buy which.
"Anyway, this is my last week in Modena. I can't go back without seeing a market" I thought.

Well, it was true that I had enough time to look around all shops but I was very satisfied what I bought. Shopkeepers are more knowledgeable than supermarkets and I enjoyed a little chat with them: Greengrocery, butcher's, cheesemanger's, fishmanger's and bakery etc. Those individual shops have already bunished in Japan. It is hard to negotiate prices or ask for recommendations. But in Italy, people often enjoy a conversation with shopkeepers. They know what they sell.

Here are the stuff I bought at the market:



Beppino Occelli is a cheese craftman from Piamonte who follows traditional recepes to produce cheese and butter.
http://www.occelli.it/inglese/azienda.asp
(I wanted to visit his cheese cellar in a small mountain village in Piamonte. But I did not have enough time to go there, this time.)


This is his fermented butter without salt. It is creamy and has some sweetness (as no salt is added. 2 euro for 125g at the Market in Modena (10 euro in Japan. Carrissimo!)


"Piadino" Romagnan speciality. They eat with ruccola, cheese, sausage or anything. Like sandwich.


"Ciliegie di Vignola" Cherry from Vignola. The consortium is formedI wonder if they try to get IGP (Indicazione Geographica Protetta)to to protect their Product Origin. Elena, do you know?


Washed cheese from Piamonte, milk (mixed: cow and goat)