Shopping in Rome: the culinary centre of Testaccio market, to rediscover the most authentic Rome

Rome is often defined the "Eternal City" in the tourist guides, with a magic charm able to attract tourists from all over the world. In addition to this, it can also boast a remarkable culinary assortment rich in connections with the peasant and authentic Rome, and Testaccio market is a very important example of this link with the past.

The market of Testaccio
Testaccio is one of the most appreciated local markets by Roman visitors and tourists, as nowadays it is considered a real meeting point for all those who love authentic flavours and good food: it is located in Via Beniamino Franklin, but it can also be accessed from Via Galvagni, Via Ghiberti and Via Manuzio. The market is open every day, from Monday to Saturday from 6am to 2pm. For all those travelling by car, there is a comfortable underground pay parking; it must also be said it is well served by public means of transport such as the buses 75 from Termini station, 83 from Piazza Venezia, and underground line B, till Piramide stop. The main feature of the market is that of being entirely protected from the sun and the bad weather, by a series of transparent panels filtering a pleasant light. This place has been the meeting point of many sellers with their own desk and younger traders for years, continually proposing new products. In detail, at the Testaccio market you can find street food, food banks such as fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, desserts and household items.

Street food at Testaccio market
The idea of an ideal take away food or taste it during walks has slowly increased its development among the population, and so nowadays, Testaccio market is the perfect place for those who love street food, in addition to the absolute variety of available raw materials. There are really many sellers proposing many different offers to their customers, always tied to the Roman and peasant tradition. We can't miss to name Zoé, the first totally vegetarian tavern in Testaccio. This does not mean banal dishes and already seen are served: on the contrary, they offer real gourmet sandwiches, salads, bulgur, extracts, fruit and vegetables to be enjoyed during the walk. Mordi e Vai, on the other hand, offers sandwiches made with the filling of the grandmother to its guests: boiled Scottona meat (from the female steer), sausage with sautéed chicory, tripe, boiled meatballs and much more. Romeo Chef & Backer presents large coloured cups, according to the dish: green meals include salads and vegetarian sandwiches, red dishes based on meatballs, yellow the best chef proposals hosted at the stand, blue for soups, and finally purple for the most original gourmet proposals. The street food you can be enjoyed by Romeo Chef & Backer, in addition of being innovative, is closely linked to the seasonality of the products strictly farm-to-table.

The food counters
Not just street food, but also many stands selling fresh and genuine products you can take home and cook as you prefer. The choice is really vast and allows to satisfy all tastes and needs. The fundamental feature is to offer only top quality products with a very high quality of raw materials. A striking example is the Alimentari Appetiti, which has been handling excellent products for four generations: highly recommended for finding unique foods such as Battipaglia buffalo and all the best salami obtained by a slow seasoning method capable of enhancing the light taste of raw material. Salami and all kinds of cheese, even sheep's milk, you can also find them at the Enzo e Lina, historical faces at Testaccio market; they offer sandwiches filled with the best ham and refrigerated products from Rome and the surrounding area.
In addition to this, there are also several stands selling fresh, certified and organic meats such as those from Sartor meat selection. Readymade meat products are also available on the stand. Only two fish stands, but you can be sure you will find everything you need for your meal. At Simona e Daniele fish shop, you can choose both already processed products ready to be cooked and excellent fresh fish. On the other hand, the Mastroianni fish market is a solid point on the Testaccio market and always offers a vast selection of fish. Quality and freshness are features not to be underestimated, combined with courtesy.
Another positive aspect is that home deliveries are also available. Concerning fruit and vegetable stands, we can define them joy of colours and scents throughout the year. Delizie di Verdura offers the possibility to buy the most valued and rare products on the market such as snails, mushrooms and exotic foods like ginger, avocado and mango which, thanks to air shipment reach customers in fresh and intact conditions. The Burino instead offers only products of the Roman territory based on the seasonality of the foods. There, you can taste good local fruit and vegetables, such as self-produced apricots, peaches and Roman broccoli. The Cogoni Fruit is one of the most attracting stands for the beauty of the colours, the perfumes and the sensations, the quality/price ratio is excellent and vegetables already cleaned and immediately ready for use are perfect.

In conclusion, Testaccio market is a true hymn to authentic and genuine Roman products. Thanks to the wide assortment of street food, it is possible to taste the foods symbol of the city. There are many producers of oil, of wines, bakeries and food offering works of art every day attracting tourists and Roman people, making them discover the most authentic Rome.

Do you want to stay in Rome?

For this location we recommend Hotel Oxford, the ideal starting point to discover Rome!

06/05/2019
testaccio marketstreet food romeneighborhood markets