Meghan Bucheral, Pitt in Florence Summer 2023
When I was choosing a study abroad program, food was a factor in my choice. Like many people, I absolutely love Italian food, so choosing to study in Italy was an easy choice for me after seeing the program helped me with my academics and career goals. My specific program didn’t have meals included, so I was able to have free reign to try (or make) whatever I wanted. I grew up eating Italian food, so I was super excited to try authentic foods and indulge in the nostalgia of eating Italian recipes.
I thought I would find myself eating tons of pizza and pasta (which of course I did), but what I ended up eating the most of was paninis/sandwiches. Right down the street from my apartment was a little Salumeria called Pino’s Sandwiches. It’s a family-run sandwich shop where they slice the meat and cheese right in front of you and make a fresh sandwich. I ate there 15 times during my six week stay because the paninis were that good, and cheap too. Not only was the food amazing, but the atmosphere of the shop was as well. I truly felt welcomed there despite being a foreigner.
In Italy, food is about enjoyment, socializing, and appreciating delicious flavors, and the small local restaurants found all over Italy reflect that. Of course Italy has its popular dishes that I mentioned before, but each region of Italy has its own cuisine, and the Tuscany region is certainly no exception. I had the most delicious cured meats, which are more popular in the North versus the south of Italy due to the climate. Although I didn’t try it, Florence is known for Florentine steak, a true representation of the city’s cuisine. I ate at several pizzerias to try and find the best pizza in Tuscany, and the answer to that is a restaurant in Lucca called Dante & Gentucca.
I did eat out a lot while in Florence, but I also cooked at my apartment. I wanted to try living like a true Florentine, so I searched recipes and cooked Tuscan food at home. In particular, I made Panzanella, which isTuscan bread salad. I had some at a restaurant and decided to cook it for myself. Going to the grocery store and buying all the ingredients to make an Italian dish in Italy made me feel like I was practicing my Italian heritage. Of course, Florence is not the only area I visited, and I was lucky enough to try local dishes from other cities as well. In Venice, there is the culture of cicchetti. Basically, cicchetti are small snacks served at restaurants and bars in Venice, similar to tapas in Spain. I got to try cicchetti at a local Venetian restaurant, hidden in a little corner on one of the canals. I tried 3 different kinds, and I loved the experience of trying different local foods.
While in Italy, my eating habits definitely changed. Breakfast (colazione in Italian) is not a big meal like it is in America. Italians usually just have a cornetto (croissant) and cappuccino or espresso for breakfast. I don’t like coffee, but I had many croissants. Also, although this isn’t a traditional Italian breakfast, I fell in love with a certain brand of Italian breakfast biscuits/cookies from the grocery store and I ate them every single morning. I would have a piece of fruit and then the cookies (I brought three bags home with me). It wasn’t hard to adapt to Italian cuisine because I’ve been eating it my whole life. But I was still surprised at how different some foods tasted. The tomatoes were so much more flavorful than tomatoes in the US, and the zucchini tasted different too. Also, the cured meat was much more tasty in Italy as well, probably because it’s fresher and more authentic. I had the best pasta ever at a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant called La Fettunta in Florence. The gnocchi was so out of this world that I think I’d fly to Italy again just for that dish.
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