Culinary Adventure for the Brave

What to Expect

Her Majesty the Oyster
We will not try oysters in a luxurious Roman restaurant, but head to a huge, magnificent local market where we will be served as many oysters as we want. Next to the fish stalls, we will buy a couple of lemons and right there at the market, among colorful vendors and Roman housewives shopping for lunch, we will taste this sea delicacy with a glass of fresh white wine from the barrels. And I will tell you about:

• the history of Roman cuisine;
• who first learned to breed oysters in Ancient Rome;
• how in antiquity the name of this mollusk was linked to politics;
• and many other interesting stories and legends about Her Majesty the Oyster and Roman cuisine in general.

His Highness the Truffle
We will not have lunch at a pizzeria or trattoria. A few metro stops or a ten-minute taxi ride, and we will be in the heart of the city, near the Spanish Steps - at the best truffle bar in Rome. Here I will tell you about:

• this mysterious underground mushroom, known as the 'king of the table';
• how ancient Greeks and Romans 'hunted' for it;
• which regions of Italy are rich in truffles now;
• who considered it the 'fifth element', provoking exaltation of the senses and inspiring creativity;
• what mysterious medieval stories are associated with the 'tuber' (the Latin name for truffle).

Enjoy the aromatic delicacy with a glass of fresh white wine or, if you are in Rome in winter, fragrant red wine.

His Lordship the Pate
And now a short walk through the very center of Rome - past the Pantheon to Piazza Navona. In a charming wine bar located on another tiny but famous square, we will be treated to exquisite Italian pates. Today, the word 'pate' is associated with French foie gras, but the history of Italian pate dates back to ancient times. Even the ancient Romans fattened geese to enjoy their fatty liver at feasts. And later, in various regions of Italy, they began to prepare 'pastichio' - a piece of dough with a filling of meat, fish, or game. I will tell you about:

• what pates were served at the courts of kings in the 14th and 15th centuries;
• what surprises awaited the feasting nobility when 'His Lordship the Pate' appeared on the table.

Try an assortment of the most diverse pates: from liver with cognac, rabbit with truffles, pheasant, quail, or wild boar - with a glass of red Tuscan or local homemade wine.

His Eminence the Cheese
To conclude our culinary tour, I invite you to enjoy a symphony of cheese flavors. In ancient Rome, cheeses were the food of commoners, heroes, and gods, and today in different regions of Italy, about 400 types of cheese are produced according to traditional recipes, each unique in its own way! In the cozy place we will visit, I will tell you the history of Italian cheeses and share some unusual Italian cuisine recipes where cheese will be the main ingredient, and you will enjoy a 'cheese plate' worthy of true gourmets.

During our culinary journey through Rome, I will, of course, tell you not only about Roman and Italian cuisine but also about the history of the city in general, about the sights we will encounter along the way, and about the neighborhoods we will stroll through.

And if along the way you still feel like having coffee or indulging in ice cream, it will be another pleasant note to our walk.

I invite true gourmets and adventurers to join the tour!