It is already the beginning of the third week here in Italy. I have seen many breathtaking views in Ariccia and Rome in the past two weeks. We are all overwhelmed by what we see and experience each day and they are all once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The Colosseum was stunning, and St, Peter’s Basilica was absolutely unforgettable. But among all that, I would like to share what affected me the most during my two weeks here – fresh food. I love food and I loved what I ate everyday before I came here, but within these two weeks, Italy has shocked me with her food. In U.S, I basically can find any ingredient in the grocery store that I want to cook in my food or eat out in a restaurant and order a dish that has out-of-season ingredients in it. But in Italy, they only serve season food. All the fruits and the vegetables I have had so far were absolutely amazing and everything was absolutely fresh. Because of this component and good foundation, I trust all the foods that are served in restaurants and I have definitely enjoyed everything so far. In the near future, I would love to open a coffee/pastry shop. Italy has definitely inspired me on how to gain customers’ trust and serve the best quality ingredients. In my store, I want to serve everything in season, and I know it’s absolutely worth it according to how much I have loved it. This is my dream and I think this can be a great component to differentiate my store from the others. Italy has been good to me.
April Wu