Friday Photos From Umbria ~ August 28th, 2015

stall

I cannot believe that August is almost over and we will soon be moving into fall. We have less than two months left here in Umbria before we leave so I am trying to enjoy each and every day. As someone who loves to cook, I always say that it is much easier for me to get kitchen inspiration here in Italy with all the amazing ingredients available.

Although we do have a number of basic gracery stores, we now have a few super stores that have large seafood counters, fresh pasta islands, and cheeses and cured meats from across Europe. One store even offers a selection of different types of eggs depending on if they free range in the wild, or free range part time.

One of my favorite things about living where we do is that there is an outdoor market every day. These markets rotate daily from town to town, and some of the same stalls can be found in different towns. We have learned which stall owners we can trust for the best produce, and now that they know us they know what type of fruit and vegetables we prefer.

Today I am taking you food shopping in Umbria with me. Certain markets are better than others, but we like the small market in Deruta on Tuesdays, the larger market in Ponte San Giovanni on Thursdays, and the very large Saturday market on Saturdays.

groceryseafood

Seafood stand in the new EMI grocery store in Corciano.

grocerycheese

Selection of local cheeses at Emi grocery store in Corciano.

bargain

Bargain stalls from southern Italy are now invading our local markets selling everything for .99 a kilo. These stalls are forcing local farmers to leave the markets as they cannot compete. I personally found much of the produce inferior and I prefer to buy local and organic when possible.

curedmeats

Usually every market has at least one stall selling cured meats and cheeses, often from Norcia.

flowers

Always a fresh cut flower stall!

fred

This is Fred’s stall. We go to him because he gives us the best produce and his prices are fair.

household

Some stalls sell everything you could ever want for the kitchen, although the quality is questionable.

linenbargains

Another new presence in our local markets are these bargain stalls selling linens and clothing items for 1, 2, & 3 euros a piece.

plants

Garden plants for every season.

plums

Most produce here in Umbria is seasonal. Right now peaches, plums, early apples, and tomatoes are appearing everywhere.

porchetta

Every market large or small has at least one porcheta truck.

shoes

You can even buy shoes at the market…….

underclothesOr even underwear. This stand in Ponte San Giovanni selling underclothing for both men and women was very busy!

Deborah Mele
August 2015

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.