Michael Salmon’s Foodie Adventure in Tuscany – Italian Markets

Written by Chef Michael Salmon, Chef/Co-owner of the Hartstone Inn

During my adventures abroad, one of my favorite activities is visiting local food markets.  Mary Jo and I just returned from a short trip to Shanghai and Beijing, China where the markets abound with mainstays of lotus root, water chestnuts, bullfrogs and soft shell turtles. It is an amazing contrast to the ingredients found in the Italian markets we visit daily on our Culinary tours to Italy.  What I find so fascinating at the markets is the interaction between the people, the general respect for fresh food products and of course the amazing colors and textures that are seemingly easy to capture by the average person using an average camera.  Here are some pictures we took on our last Culinary Tour to Italy last fall featuring some of the fresh produce, salumi and the famous Italian Porchetta (roasted pig).