So far, with the time I have spent in Florence, Italy, I have fallen in love with the food
culture here in Florence and in Italy. It has really opened my eyes to what real food is—the care
they put into every dish and the quality of exotic flavors. For instance, the first night I was here, I
went out to dinner with other students, and I had a bite of black truffle pasta (first picture), and a
tear fell out of my eye and rolled down my face just because of how delicious that bite truly was.
In Florence, they eat for the quality of the food and taste. Pairing wines with many dishes and
their palates here are more complex than back in the states, and the quality of ingredients is
significantly better than the ones you would find back home.
Meals can last a lot longer than they do in America, and I feel like the American view
about food is just not the same as it is here in Florence. They take a lot of time to enjoy their
food; the Florentine people know that flavor is vital in every dish. The second dish that supports
this was when I traveled to Bologna. I went with some friends here on the trip, and we were told
that the food was unmatched in Bologna, and they were right. I had Tortellini Bolognese (second
photo), two dishes they invented, so I had to try them together, and I can say I was not
disappointed. The food gave me a view of how much work it must go into perfecting even the
simplest of dishes, and the outcome is definitely a reward worth the small price of the trip to get
there. Overall the food culture everywhere in Italy is something that I would say needs to be experienced at least once in their lifetime.