How to Shop for Groceries like an Italian

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Shopping for groceries may seem like a mundane task. But, in reality, it can be quite fulfilling and even enjoyable if we take some lessons from the Italian people. How do we shop for groceries like an Italian practically? First, it’s helpful to understand that in the Italian culture, food is sacro. It’s sacred because it’s a value in the culture. It’s a value because it can and should be delicious and important in society. But, it’s also sacred because it gathers people together around the table.

The Italian people in general are an extremely relational people. They value time spent with those they love; and often that time is spent while enjoying some kind of food. Even grocery shopping for the ingredients themselves becomes relational in the Italian culture. It’s important to ask consiglio from the local farmer or vendor who knows the products well. They are ready to give advice on how best to prepare the specific food you are buying so that you can enjoy it in the best way possible. If you ask, you might even have a family recipe shared with you on how best to prepare the ingredients.

Buying Local & In Season

When it comes to grocery shopping like an Italian, it’s about more than buying whatever food the media or the big box stores tell us we should buy in that moment. Rather, for Italians, it’s more important to shop for food that is in season and grown locally. This means relying heavily on shopping local from farmers who are passionate and invested in the cultivation of the foods you are going to eat.

Buying food in season is really important. No one wants to eat old veggies or fruit that is not even close to ripe or ready to eat. Shopping in season often means you have to eat produce that is local rather than being imported in; and what options are available to you depends on your area. If you live in an area where produce isn’t as abundant in certain seasons, you might have to get creative. But honestly, that is the point!

Creativity in the Kitchen

To think about food preparation as an Italian is to be creative. Che c’è c’è. What there is, there is. You have to make the choice to be creative in preparing something delicious with the ingredients that are available to you. Many of the dishes from Italy were first created out of this mindset. Much of the cucina povera is born out of this mindset. This “poor cooking” was a way to not waste anything; but to use what you have and in turn, spend less. It’s a way of the culture that remains even today. This idea can expand far beyond food preparations and into other aspects of Italian life as well.

Shopping at the Local Market

Going to the open air, local markets in Italy are an experience in and of themselves. They are filled with a beauty that involves all the senses. There are vibrant colors of gorgeous fruits and vegetables that could be said to be aesthetically arranged still life examples of art. Looking at each item arranged neatly with color blocking of deep green, striped zuccchini paired next to deep red tomatoes you start to examine the form and shape of the produce. Have you noticed how sleek and elegant the color and shape of eggplant is?

Learning how to shop for groceries like an Italian teaches you that it is also a relational affair. You appreciate the sounds of friends talking, food growers giving advice, and vendors placing items in crunchy brown paper bags. People are coming together for a beautiful exchange in a shared space to unite and celebrate a love for quality of food and the support of the local farmer. It really is beautiful.

How Often You Shop & the Quality of Your Food

Another thing to think about when grocery shopping like an Italian is the frequency of your shopping. For Italians, the idea of going to a big box supermarket and buying two or more weeks worth of groceries is absurd. When you stop to think about it, it’s pretty gross. Do you really want to eat something that has been in your cooler for two weeks? Italians like to eat fresh. Eating fresh means frequent visits to the market and only purchasing the amount of food you will need a few days worth at a time. This also ensures less food waste. Have you ever discovered rotting food hidden in the back of your refrigerator and being forced to throw it out? When you shop more often but buy less, you use what you have more efficiently.

Buying fresh, local produce is also far more healthy for you. Most local farmers are not using pesticides and using poor labor practices to produce their food. Talk to your local farmers and find out how they grow their food. You might even found out they grow their food organically but just don’t have the certified label on their products. Talk to local famers who produce meat and cheeses from animals that aren’t treated with hormones or antibiotics. These kinds of little details are discovered by forming relationships. It’s beautiful to have a closer connection with our food and know where it comes from and how it is grown or produced.

Enjoying the Experience

In society, we have to eat. Why don’t we make the entire experience as enjoyable as possible? When we do this from the beginning of the process of choosing ingredients it makes us more grateful. We appreciate the effort and work that it has taken to be able to prepare a meal in our kitchens and serve our families. We don’t have to view the process as mundane. We can be intentional about our food choices and how we purchase ingredients. This is the Italian way.

Find your local farmers market this weekend and make it an event. If you pick up some tomatoes or fresh mozzarella, try out my recipe for homemade pizza. Talk to the farmer or vendor and ask them how they prepare the in season ingredients you are buying. Buy just enough to get you through a few days until the midweek market. Grab a beautiful handwoven basket to place your fresh produce in and enjoy the experience!

Learn how to implement more slow living from Italians here.