italian slow food holidaysFood shopping in Le Marche Italy

Most Le Marche shops including food shops are generally from 8.30 am to 12.30 and from 5.00 until 7.30pm. Like the rest of Italy, many shops close on Sunday – except bakers, cake, delicatessans and fresh pasta shops – and for half a day during the week depending on the town. There are also supermarkets that are open all day, many have fresh counters for meats, fish and cheeses.

We are also part of a cooperative of local food producers, that includes typical pecorino- cheese, “pasticceria” or specialist cakes and bakes, salami and different types of ham, ciauscolo (a local spreadable salami), wines and honey

The typical Le Marche grocer’s shop or deli – alimentari – has most of the food on shelves for you to help yourself, except for the delicatessen counter for cheese, cold meats, etc., where you also need to ask for bread. When ordering from the delicatessen counter or a local market in Italy, most things are sold in units of etti (un’etto/due etti) one etto is 100 grams or slightly less than a quarter pound. For small quantities it is common to use a half etto (un mezz’etto).

An Italian grocery list:

  • cheese – formaggio
  • pecorino nostrano (local ewe’s milk cheese), stagionata (seasoned) frescha (fresh)
  • parmigiano (parmesan)
  • parmigiano gratuggiato (grated parmesan)food markets le marche italy
  • gorgonzola
  • Truffle-tartufo
  • Ricotta-ricotta
  • milk – latte: full-intero, semi skimmed- parzialmente scremato, skimmed- scremato
  • fresh cream – panna fresca
  • bread – pane (bought by the half kilo or kilo (mezzo kilo/un kilo). Note that many Forno (bakers) shops sell specialist breads made with olive oil, such as Pugliese, Siciliana, Arabo etc, all tend to be more crusty on the outside and moist inside.
  • “parma” ham – prosciutto crudo
  • cooked ham – prosciutto cotto
  • olives – ulive
  • Fish- Pesce (pronounced Peshay)
  • Tuna- Tonno
  • Anchovy- acciughe

Unless you use a supermercato, you will have to buy fruit and vegetables from a frutta e verdura shop. Stocks are strongly seasonal, out-of-season exotica with all of their food miles havent caught on in the Marche.

A shopping list for a Le Marche greengrocers (fruttivendolo):

  • apples – mele
  • aubergines – melanzane
  • bananas – banana
  • broad beans – fave
  • Broccoli- broccoli
  • Chilli- pepperoncino
  • Cabbage- Cavoloitalian food shopping list
  • Cauliflower- Cavalfiore
  • courgettes – zucchini
  • cucumber – cetriolo
  • fennel – finocchio
  • figs – fiche
  • french beans – fagiolini
  • garlic – aglio
  • lemons – limoni
  • lettuce – insalata
  • melon – melone
  • nectarines – pesche noce
  • onions – cipolle
  • oranges – arance
  • peaches – pesche
  • peas – piselli
  • peppers – peperoni
  • potatoes – patate
  • rocket – rucola
  • tomatoes – pomodori
  • water melon – cocomero/anguria

Meat in the Marche, as in the rest of Italy, is of a very high quality and therefore expensive. Look out for the word nostrano meaning “local” for the best produce as the butcher will know the provenance of his stock, the slaughterhouse and even the farm. An Itlaian butcher’s is a macelleria.

An Italian butcher’s typical produce:

  • beef – manzo/vittelone
  • veal – vitello
  • chicken (breast) – pollo (petto di pollo)
  • legs – cosce
  • lamb – agnello
  • liver – fegato
  • pork – maiale
  • rabbit – coniglio
  • steak (beef/pork) – bistecca (di manzo/di maiale)
  • sausages (excellent) – salsicce
  • turkey – tacchino
  • mince/ground beef (lean) – carne macinata (prima scelta)

If you are going out to eat at a ristorante, an osteria or trattoria, you may need to translate the menu, it may be worth viviting this menu page and carrying it with you on your le marche holiday

foodie holidays italy le marcheWeekly Le Marche Food Markets

Nearly all Le Marche towns have a weekly market and these always open from early morning until lunchtime (1pm). The following list are within easy reach of our Le Marche agriturismo.

  • Monday: Loro Piceno
  • Tuesday: Treia, Tolentino
  • Wednesday: Macerata
  • Saturday: Civitanova Marche, San Severino

 

Agriturismo Fontechiara is located in Treia in the province of Macerata in the region of Le Marche in central Italy. We offer B&B or bed and breakfast holidays or for lovers of slow food there are half board

italy breaks for foodies

or all inclusive holidays. A vacation at Fontechiara allows you to sample ecotourism, locally grown food, our own organic produce, home cooking and great Le Marche wines in a restored farmhouse with stylishly furnished rooms and excellent facilities including a swimming pool. We offer yoga retreats, horse riding holidays, fishing holidays, Italian lessons, olive oil holidays, we offer a dog sitting service and are ideally located for sports and outlet shopping. Le Marche has fantastic beaches, mountains, nature, history, art, activities and more. Please check out our reasonable prices or contact us for more information or to book.

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