Volpetti deli is a local favourite.Credit: Alamy
Finding room for gelato, Ben Groundwater sinks his teeth into an Italian obsession.
There comes a point in almost every day in Italy when you don't think you can eat any more. Sometimes several points. Today is no exception.
It's about two in the afternoon. Since 10am we've consumed pastries, pecorino cheese, prosciutto, salami, pizza, bruschetta, cannoli, tiramisu, mozzarella, spaghetti and a ball of deep-fried risotto called suppli - all in a moving feast on the streets of Rome. It's almost too much to bear; almost enough to make you call it a day. But there's one course to go, and it's important: gelato.
We lurch down the Testaccio street, getting mentally prepared. We can do this. We will.
You may not have heard of Testaccio. It's a suburb in the southern part of Rome that's often overlooked by tourists in favour of the ancient city's more famous sectors. There are precious few Roman ruins here; no cathedrals of note. What there is, however, is food. Really good food.
This is where Romans come to eat and buy fresh produce. The suburb is a hive of gastronomic activity, from delis serving the finest products the country has to offer, to a famed market, to restaurants far removed from the tourist-focused establishments in the older part of the city.
Gelato.Credit: Alamy
The only problem is figuring out where to start. Help in that regard comes from Eating Italy Food Tours, a relatively new company and the only one that takes foodies through this part of Rome. Our guide's name is Luna.
We begin, as any good day in Rome should, with coffee and a pastry. In this case, it's a cappuccino and a cornetto - like a croissant filled with flavoured cream - at Barberini, a bakery and cafe that's been serving the Testaccio masses since 1955. Today the place is filled with Romans slamming down their coffees, screaming at each other in Italian, and then filing out the door with smiles on their faces. So that's breakfast out of the way. Must be time to eat more.
A couple of doors down the street lies Volpetti, a high-end deli with products sourced from throughout the country. Luna ducks inside and soon emerges with sample plates of cheeses and cured meats. There's a truffled pecorino from the local area. There's a chunk of parmigiano reggiano, its salty crystals melting in the mouth. Then we move on to Barolo salami, and a razor-thin slice of San Daniele prosciutto. Delicious.
Testaccio's pasta carbonara.Credit: Getty Images
You don't have to go far to find good food around here. A few doors further down, around a corner and we've arrived at Volpetti Piu, one of Rome's best "tavala calda" restaurants. That means "hot table", and it's basically Roman fast food, including pizza served by the slice.
Owner Ottavio Melarangi's margherita was recently named in Rome's top 10. It's simple, and perfect: a doughy but crisp base, a hit of tomatoes, perfectly melted mozzarella and a sprig of basil. Ottavio lurks in the background as we devour his creation, checking faces for appreciation. He's not disappointed.
Have we had enough to eat? Not even close. It's time to go to the market. There's been some controversy in Testaccio lately, Luna says. The old marketplace, a spot that had been serving the locals for decades, was recently vacated and the vendors moved to a fancy new spot a few blocks away. Change is always met with suspicion in a city as old as this, but the new location is well patronised. "The market here has 30 grocers," Luna says, "plus nine butchers, five fishmongers ... and one designer shoe salesman." She shrugs. "This is Italy."
Luna grabs some tomatoes from her favourite grocer, plus a head of garlic, fresh basil, a loaf of bread from her favourite baker, and all of a sudden we've got the makings of the perfect bruschetta. That's made for us by Enzo Paolantoni, who owns one of the market's delis. He smiles as he passes out slices to the waiting group, knowing what we're in for.
And now it's lunchtime - we must be due something to eat. It's time for something typically Roman, and there are few dishes more cherished by locals than the pasta trio of rigatoni carbonara, spaghetti cacio e pepe, and rigatoni amatriciana.
We call past Flavio al Velavevodetto, a restaurant carved into the side of the hill that gives Testaccio its name, to sample these three favourites. Like much of the Roman cuisine they're extremely simple dishes, but deceptively difficult to perfect. At Flavio, they've perfected them. We could happily never leave Flavio, spending an entire afternoon drinking wine and eating pasta, but there are a few more stops to make, a few more delicacies to try. First, around the corner to 00100 Pizza to sample suppli, the Roman fried risotto balls that are similar to the Sicilian arancini.
Then, finally, the last course. Gelato. Luna smiles. "There's only one rule with gelato in Rome," she says. "You have to order two flavours. But make sure you choose the combination well. If Armando, the owner here, thinks you've made a bad choice, he won't serve it to you."
I play it safe: chocolate and raspberry. Armando gives me a mischievous look from behind the glass counter, then smiles, nods and starts scooping. It's gelato time. And then, finally, I'll be full.
Ben Groundwater was a guest of Eating Italy Food Tours.
FAST FACTS
Getting there Emirates has a fare to Rome for about $2040 low-season return from Sydney and Melbourne, including taxes. Fly to Dubai (about 14hr) and then to Rome (6hr 25min); see emirates.com. This fare allows you to fly via another Asian city and back from another European city.
Touring there Eating Italy Food Tours operates several times daily (except for Sundays) in Testaccio, and generally last for about four hours. Prices are $US85 ($82) for adults and $US59 for children, inclusive of all food and drink. For bookings and more information, see eatingitalyfoodtours.com.
More information italy.com.au
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