Eating Your Way Through the Cuisine of Rome

There is no doubt one of the best places to go on in Europe is Italy. Heading into the city of Rome has never been easier, with the simple Fiumicino Airport transfers that can take you from the airport to the heart of a city that emanates art and ancient history.

Founded by mythical brothers Romulus and Remus in 753 BC, Rome is one of the oldest, continually inhabited cities in Europe. Also known as the “Eternal City”, taking the Fiumicino Airport transfers in will give you just enough time to see a few things along the way. Before you arrive you should make some lose plans about what you want to see and do – because there is plenty! This beautiful, ancient capital city has managed to morph itself into one of the leading globally important centres of the world in so many ways. But the one thing you must do while in Rome is to eat, and eat well!

Food glorious food

At various points in the city’s history it has been a major gastronomical centre of the world. After you land at Fiumicino Airport, transfers into the city will give you a small glimpse of what that means as you pass by myriad cafes and restaurants that lone the streets.

Originally highly influenced by Greek cuisine, Roman food blossomed over the ages into a true high-end cuisine. If you want a taste of the most traditional of Roman foods, which includes hearty stews and speciality sauces, head to the Testaccio Riome, Rome’s traditional slaughterhouse district. Here you can find the popular dishes of the old butchers, which often incorporate the lesser-known cuts of meat using succulent sauces and spicing. One bit of advice when going to eat like a local in the city is to be open minded to offal, which is often utilised once you get away from the high-end dining and tourist eateries. If you spot any out of the way places on your Fiumicino Airport transfers, take a note of the location and return on foot later.

A few of the dishes you must try while in the city can be found in both large restaurants and small trattorias. While will be inundated with an array familiar choices, be sure to eat broadly and expand your palate. Go traditional and try the matriciano or amatriciano, which is said to have been created in Rome. This dish is classically Italian in its use of simple ingredients - tomatoes, chilli pepper, onions, pecorino and guinciale, a cured meat product made from pork cheek - mixed with pasta.

Another of the main points of Roman cuisine that you can grasp in the city is the use of local ingredients. You many notice that lots of the dishes contain pecorino cheese, which is a cheese that is made from ewe’s milk in the nearby countryside (Lazio and a lot from south in Sardinia) and is protected as a DOC item. Look out for the succulent cuts of slow cooked meats like ox-tail and jowls, and don’t turn your nose up at them - they pack one heck of a flavourful punch that the Romans have been perfecting for centuries.

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If you’re looking for Fiumicino airport transfers, Shuttle Direct provide pre-booked shuttles to major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don’t miss your car on your holiday abroad.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.