The last day of Terra Madre began with “Around the World in a City Square.” In this class we traveled around the Piazza della Repubblica to visit shops and stands of immigrants from around the world that have now settled in Turin, Italy. Our first stop was at spice shop owned by a woman from Madagascar.
Next, we visited the Mercato di Porta Palazzo – a lively market in the middle of the square that stretches as far as the eye can see. (You can see more photos from our first trip to the market here).
On the far side of the market, we visited a shop owned by a french family that sold chocolates, spices, and a huge assortment of teas.
On our first trip to the market, we hadn’t noticed the tiled building that housed the fish market. The market housed stall after stall of fresh fish and seafood.
We walked a block or two away from the market for our last two stops – the Asia and Africa Market and a meat shop owned by Moroccan immigrants.
Following our morning class, we hopped on a street car to head back down south and picked out a spot for lunch. Even lunch here is a five course meal (and is always served with red wine and finishes with dessert and espresso – all of my favorite things)! For starters, we ordered this focaccia bread with tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella.
After lunch, we made a tourist stop to Mole Antonelliana – a 550 foot tall monument with a glass elevator to the top. The views of the city were beautiful on this clear, sunny day.
In the afternoon, we had a class on other food artisans that had earned Slow Foods “Masters of Taste” honor. Our first stop was a woman-run bakery that specialized in traditional breadsticks.
After that, we visited a beautiful building where in 1786 Antonio Benedetto Carpano combined herbs and spices with wine to create the first vermouth.
Next, we visited A. Giordano – a chocolate shop that specializes in a traditional chocolate called gianduiotti. This chocolate consists only of hazelnuts, cocoa, and sugar and is then hand-shaped one by one into a traditional boat shape before being wrapped in a golden foil.
Our last stop of the day was at Sapori – our favorite pasta maker (see photos from our first stop at Sapori here). There is nothing quite like tasting freshly made pasta stuffed with the best, local ingredients.
Tending Our Common Ground 