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| Via Drappiere, Bologna |
Here are a few more shots from my meanderings around Bologna the week before last. No doubt the Italian love of self-presentation, preening, style and fashion extends through to their food and merchandising! Or perhaps it's the other way around - chicken or egg? Either way, in and around Via Drapperie in Bologna, displays move from the beautiful to the bizarre......and your stomach growls with hunger and temptation.
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| Where's Wally? Waste not, want not |
The variety of food available with which to create these presentations is astounding. The average butchers have far more than rashers, bacon, sausages, a few chickens & a side of beef. The pasta stands include such a selection of shapes and sizes, you can easily eat a different pasta shape every night for a month and only have skimmed the surface of options. The fruit and veg. stands have such an array of dried, fresh and cured produce the mind boggles at where to start.
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| Which mortadella would you like? |
What really struck me was, on a street of six or seven fantastic delis, is how you can watch a local shopper work their way from one to next. They have clearly defined a pattern of shopping that shares the wealth across the retailers but also targets them for specific quality, price or perceived value. It's fascinating to watch, and reminds me of my Granny (Dad's mum), who would single out the right butcher for the right meat........and if she wasn't happy with it, the butcher knew all about it next time!
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| Pasta, gnocchi, pasta, pasta, pasta |
Tip: If you love Italian food, a long weekend in Bologna is a must.
