È delizioso!

The food here just tastes better.

Well, that's what I say about every country I go to. It seems that every time I travel, the food is better than what I eat at home.

Part of this is because much of the food we eat in the U.S. has either been processed until it can't possibly be processed any further or it has been shipping hundreds or thousands of miles before hitting the shelves of your local grocery store.

However, when I travel, I've found that what I consume is a lot more limited, but a heck of a lot more tasty. I may not get Oreos and Doritos (unless I'm lucky enough to have my mom ship them to me!) but I do get a lot of really savory, flavorsome, delectable and yummy foods fresh from markets (and even the occasional larger grocery store). 

Here in Italy, I've found that the Blood Oranges are by far the most delicious oranges I've ever had in my life, even beating out the oranges I had in Tanzania. I literally could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.... and even dessert. And the fun thing about each orange is that it's a surprise! Some of them are a deep, dark red through and through, while others have starbursts of red close to the rind. Still others have streaks of red on every other slice and some have a little sun of red around their centers. Not only are the beautiful, but they are the best damn oranges I've ever eaten. People grow them in trees in their backyards all throughout the city, and we even have a tree in our courtyard at school.

Another food I've come to love is the home made pasta. There is nothing like it. Going to the open air markets and buying little packets of home made pasta has really been a treat. Thankfully, to offset my sudden onset of carboholism, I get to walk everywhere in this city (refer to my earlier post!) But the pasta really has been a delicious surprise, especially after eating boxed pasta all the time back home.

Speaking of carbolism--I certainly eat a lot of carbs here. Pasta, rosemary and olive oil crackers, bruschetta, shortbread biscuits, potatoes, gnocchi and pizza are all staples in the Italian diet. And yet, rarely will I see an overweight person. It's an interesting contradiction, but a pleasant one, because it gives me hope that I will be able to keep off the pounds by walking just like the resident Romans.

The food had been amazing here, so far, and I look forward to several months more of it before heading back to the states. 

Have you ever found a food that you simply can't get enough of while traveling? What was it and why was it better than the food you eat at home?