Italy's Most
Famous Butcher

Dear International Living Reader,

At a sidewalk café in Greve, Italy, we sipped our morning cappuccinos, devoured warm sticky pastries, and watched people going in and out of the shops, including Macelleria Falorni, Italy's most famous butcher shop, in business since 1700.

We couldn't resist a visit ourselves. Inside, hams, cheeses, prosciutti, bacon, and wild boar hung from hooks in the ceiling. The smells of oregano, fennel, spicy meats, cheeses, and pepper made our mouths water.

Local women fired off orders to butchers, and everything was quickly and efficiently grabbed, sliced, and packaged…even the hairy wild boar legs. This fast-paced action kept up with never a lull. Shoppers came in, picked up their orders, left, and were replaced by more shoppers as if a well-choreographed one-act play was unfolding before us.

We stayed long enough to sample some melt-in-your-mouth prosciutti, then took our leave to make more room for the serious shoppers. It was like leaving a party. We knew it was time to go, but didn't want to. It was too much fun being part of the scene.

Wendy VanHatten
For International Living

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