World Foodie Guide

Mercato Delle Erbe, on Via Ugo Bassi, is an unmissable culinary destination if you visit Bologna, Italy. We went on the very first day of our eating trip last month, before seeing any of the cultural sights, or even having breakfast.

It’s a large indoor food market, with numerous stalls and shops selling everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to meat, fish, ham and cheese. Luckily it wasn’t busy when we went, so we were able to wander around as slowly as we liked.

There was fresh produce I’d not seen before, including pink lettuce and various types of chicory. Everything was also of a much larger size than that you’d find in London, whether artichokes, fennel, tomatoes or chicory. And most importantly, it was all far, far cheaper, which shows that prices in Bologna are ‘normal’ when compared with artificially inflated London prices. Apparently London is now the third most expensive place in the world to live in, according to the latest study.

Even if you didn’t have much money, you would be able to dine like kings in Bologna with a food market like Mercato Delle Erbe. My husband and I wandered around, just wishing we (he) had access to a kitchen so that he could use some of the marvellous ingredients and produce. If only we had stayed an entire month instead of four days…

We did however buy a large bag of dried wild oregano to take home with us. It was so aromatic that we could smell it through all the bags we placed it in, and every time we cook with it in London, we are reminded of Bologna.

The fish and seafood section of the market was exciting. Everything was incredibly fresh, all still alive, and there were many types of fish that we couldn’t even recognise. Next to each type was a sign stating its origins. A sure sign of quality was the presence of Chinese customers – Chinese people know how to spot fresh fish a mile away! And another was the lack of a fishy smell. I didn’t think that fish and seafood would form such a large part of the menu in Bologna’s restaurants, but in all the restaurants we went to, this was clearly the case.

Everything you would need to prepare a meal can be found here – countless varieties of pasta, rice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, hams and salamis, cheese, fresh meat, fish, squid, octopus, salt cod and the list goes on. You would never need to go to a supermarket.

There is even a butcher selling only horse meat. It’s common in Italy, one of the world’s top horse meat producers. Horse meat, low in fat and high in protein, is served as carpaccio, bresaola, sausage meat, steaks or in stews. But I’ve yet to try it.

My husband and I love visiting food markets when we’re on holiday. They are so vibrant, and a real indicator of the variety of food that is eaten all over the world. It’s a very different experience to simply just being served a plate made from various ingredients that you’ve not come across before.

Recently, I’ve been to some amazing markets in Taipei, Madeira and Costa Rica. When we go to China and Hong Kong later this year, the food markets will be amazing too. We do have great produce in London, but it’s somehow labelled as ‘gourmet’, and incredibly expensive, whereas in Bologna and the rest of the world, it’s just ordinary food aimed at the ordinary shopper. If you appreciate good, simple, fresh produce, you’ll love it at Mercato Delle Erbe.

Have a look at the summary of our trip in Where To Eat In Bologna…

Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide

Tags: Bologna, food, Italian, Italy, Mercato Delle Erbe, traveleating