Food in Italy has maintained itself as one of the key and most important aspects of its culture. The iconic images of Italy are filled with pictures of monuments and grand cathedrals, but one cannot forget the recognition of wine and pizza and pasta that is always paired with the Italian culture. I set out into the busy streets of Florence to understand what the phenomenon on Italians ‘slow food’ meant; Italians have fought back against fast food chains like Starbucks to maintain the cultural purity they associate with their food. A Florentine specialty called lampredotto represents Florence’s ties to the slow food movement. After my observations with both a traditional Florentine lampredotto stand and the commercialized market called Eataly, I was able to observe this food culture and phenomenon more closely. My objectives, or goals, when I set out to observe these two varying types of food locations were to understand the dynamics of food and how it was being sold in the center city of Florence. I wanted to observe more closely what kinds of people were selling the food and how these people wanted to display their creations. I also wanted to discover what kind of people were eating at these stands.
Before I visited Eataly, I expected to find very few Italians and an influx of tourists. In my own opinion and through previous experiences, when something says “real Italian food” or “real leather” I find that I should be a little skeptical. This is what Eataly sounded like to me. On Via dei Martelli, the store appears rather tiny from the outside but opens up into a mall-like atmosphere with a series of connected stores. The different stands all sell different region’s key foods like Tuscan wine, Neapolitan pizza etc. I did notice a great deal of tourists, but I was surprised to find that groups of Italians also dotted the tables and aisles- although they did not seem to be lounging for long periods of time like many other groups of Asian tourists. They all sat in larger groups together and made the “eating REAL Italian food” seem a little fake in my opinion. There was one man that worked at the pasta stand that I enjoyed watching; he was friendly to everyone and always had a smile on his face. Other vendors did not seem as thrilled to be there and the whole market seemed more of a display than an original creation. After going to Florence’s historical Mercato Centrale, where each vendor divides themselves in a similar fashion, I found the design and business of Eataly to be centered on displaying a certain imitated image. Many Italians, I feel, do not need to be reminded where different foods come or that their food is exceptional. This praise of food and different regional specialties felt very much geared towards tourism.
I unfortunately did not talk to anyone in Eataly because I felt a little in the way and constantly crowded. The area is quite small and a little tight, so there is not much room to just wander around and watch. This may have been due to the fact that I went around lunch time and lunch and store lines seemed to go on forever. If I were to go back and make more observations, I would probably go at a slower or less popular time to avoid the crowd and be able to talk to some of the vendors or any Italians that I happened to see buying something or eating there. Although I did not speak to anyone, however, when I stopped for a bit to observe, I noticed that the atmosphere felt much different than other Italian restaurants in the city who capitalized on a family oriented and intimate experience.
A specialty sandwich in Florence, called the lampredotto, has maintained a long presence in this city. My experience with observing the sale of lampredotto was much more interesting than Eataly. My Italian teacher, Antonella Salvia, had taken my class and me to the central market and had explained that lampredotto was cow intestines- marinated, spiced, and chopped cow intestines. I was a bit taken back by that, considering nothing like that is served in the United States, but its historical ties to the city made me curious. I did not know what to expect when I arrived at noon at the Mercato Piccillini, situated very close to the Ponte Vecchio. At this time, large crowds, of what appeared to be local Italians comprised mostly men, swarmed around the tiny stand. The 3 men working in the small booth were all laughing and talking with their customers in an amicable way, and yet they still maintained their composure and swiftness: they seemed very experienced.
I decided to come back when the line slowed down because everyone there seemed to be in a rush, and I felt a little intimidated trying my Italian on so many men. I returned at around 2:30 where the line had slowed significantly. There was an older woman eating a panino (sandwich) and talking with the men behind the vendor, but one man off to the side appeared to be taking a break and drinking a glass of wine- naturally, I gravitated towards him because he seemed like someone I would get along with. I spoke my best and slightly broken Italian, and we both laughed when I said “Io parlo italiano un po” to which he responded “I spoke little English”. So we spoke only in Italian, which I think he enjoyed even though I struggled a bit.
I asked him a lot of questions about how his life began in this business. He explained that he had been working with lampredotto for 27 years, and had inherited the cart from his father, and his father before him. The cart used to be just down the street and smaller, but it had always remained in the same area he said. He got very excited to talk about it and brought out a published book that seemed almost like a photo album. The sparkle in his eyes as he showed me himself featured as a younger working man and his nonna (grandma) proudly displaying the large length of a cow’s intestines. It is a family owned business for them, and they rely heavily on making sure their products are perfect from the source of the meat to serving it to their customers. Orazio seems like a very kind and happy man…breaking into a crooked smile whenever I turn to look at him but never making any unwanted remarks like I have experienced when walking down the street from other Italian men (catcalls in Florence can get very out of hand sometimes).When we began talking, he was respectful and seemed genuinely happy with his life- something I have found is not always recognizable in others.
I then asked about its ingredients and how it was made. It costs 3.50 Euro and is made with a spicy sauce, soft bread, and lettuce. When asked where the ingredients come from he said they were always local, grown or bought from around Florence in cities like Parma, but never in the South! He laughed about that like it was a ridiculous notion to buy anything from Southern Italy. I decided to return the next day and try my first lampredotto! Orazio remembered me and convinced me to try one, and it was on the house! I think I might have a new favorite part of the cow: the intestines…
After both experiences, I have found that these traditional and more home grown local places truly represent Italy. They do not put up fancy signs and claim they are “Italy’s finest”. Rather, they are the hole in the wall places that you would never expect to find the incredible Italian history and cultural life. Fast food chains may pop up in cities throughout Italy, but these small stands who maintain the slow food of Italian culture will continue to attract locals and those travelers with the confidence to step outside their comfort zone.