Food Culture of Rome

Maureen Fant is a well known food writer living in Rome who has lectured widely on the history of Italian cuisine. In this walk and seminar on traditional Roman food, Maureen takes us from the Testaccio quarter, the heart of traditional Roman gastronomy and a pilgrimage destination for food-lovers everywhere, to the intimate confines of her own kitchen. Along the way, we'll learn some tricks and tastes of the seasonal Roman kitchen--though the program is more a celebration of Italian food than a formal cooking lesson.

Our tour begins at Piazza dell’Emporio, on the Tiber River, gateway to Testaccio. We'll look at the remains of the ancient river port and warehouses where most foodstuffs entered ancient Rome until its fall in the Middle Ages. From here we will make a quick walk through Testaccio--the belly of Rome--to the famous outdoor market in Piazza Testaccio. Along the way, Maureen will lecture on the history of Roman cuisine from antiquity to the present and draw a picture for us of the linkages between Roman cooking and Roman culture.

In the market, Maureen will show us how to negotiate the stalls of fresh tomatoes, herbs, fruits, meats, and cheeses, painting a portrait of Roman cooking and the incredible fresh ingredients that underlie it. After filling several bags with the best the market has to offer that day, we will visit some of the specialty food shops in this typical Roman quarter, notably the extraordinary Volpetti (for cheese, bread, and cured meats), but, depending on time and individual preferences, also a fresh-pasta shop and perhaps a wine store.

Finally, we will take a short bus or tram ride to Maureen's home near the Colosseum, where we will unpack our purchases and cook or assemble three or four typical seasonal local dishes together. These might include a frittata con zucchine romanesche (did you know Rome has its own, superior, variety of zucchini?), spaghetti (and yes, it matters what brand you buy) with fresh tomato sauce or all'amatriciana or cacio e pepe, insalata caprese (if you've never had it here, you've never really tasted it), pasta e fagioli (with fresh borlotti beans), pizza bianca with prosciutto and fresh figs, green beans stewed with fresh onion and tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, fried zucchini flowers, puntarelle con la salsa, or carciofi alla romana. (Note that this is an experience of Roman food and cooking, not a formal cooking class. We will not be going into detail on technique or recipes and will not be presenting things in a formalized way.) Meanwhile, non-cooks can relax with a glass of wine and a book or enjoy the view from the terrace till lunch time.

Participants should know that Maureen will go over all sorts of "rule" and traditions of Roman cuisine, such as never use a spoon (or knife!) when eating pasta and bruschetta is pronounced with a hard c. These are fun, enriching lessons meant to make your experience of Roman food that much deeper. To learn more about the walk, we urge you to download the short article that Town and Country wrote about this tour.

Maureen lives on the fourth storey (five by American counting) of a building without an elevator. The apartment is air-conditioned. Please remember that this part of the tour takes place in our docent’s home, undoubtedly destined for other uses soon after the scheduled end of the tour. Do try to leave as punctually as possible.

Cancellation Policies