Life's Little Surprises

Antica Drogheria di M. Torielli, Genoa
Originally uploaded by Krista 1366.

I can say that I never woke up one day and said, hey, I want to move to Italy. I was in every way dragged to this blessed land, mind you kicking and screaming with two small kids in hand, by my better half, Sam. I remember vividly our arrival in Genoa and the drive from the airport to Santa Margharita. It was the middle of August and the height of tourist season. I was completely overwhelmed by the city's density and the shock of seeing the laundry hanging off the terraces. No subdivisions or order, and not a single family house in sight. Chaos reigned. The traffic was intense and the noise of the scooters overwhelming. Sam tried to lighten the mood and show us a better side of Genoa. He took us for a drive past the harbor and the seaside. Genoa is a port city with lots of ships coming and going. Watching the activity of a harbor is one of my favorite pastimes, Sam had a good idea. He turned onto the Sopralevata (ring road) that goes over old Genoa and past the port. The sight of the water would brighten my spirit. Guess what the first thing we saw on the road? A horrible accident. A helmet was on the road and a scooter was down. I turned my head for I couldn't bear to see the blood or a dead body. Welcome to Italy.

Things were certainly difficult in the beginning, I won't deny that. We all have our likes, dislikes and our passions. One of my true passions is food, wine, and cooking. That was my salvation. Underneath all the roughness of Genoa, and there are many, you can find many extraordinary and surprising things. Yes, my taste buds in the end redeemed Genoa from its ugly start.

Here I am today shopping in one of the true gems of Genoa and one of my first gastronomic finds, Antica Drogheria di M. Torielli. Don't be fooled by the name, Antica means old, and Drogheria, in this context, grocery shop. In reality, this a spice shop. It has been here for centuries and for the last one, it has been owned and run by one family. First the father, then his son, and now the granddaughters, one of which is pictured here. In this tiny corner store in the most unlikely of places, you can find anything and everything from any part of the world. From tea to curry, from allspice to homemade chocolate and even every type of bean, rice and nut. The store is just as it has been for centuries and the aroma from the mix of spices hits you before you step into the door. It is strictly standing room only and always full of stock and customers. As you can see the shelves are lined with jars and the floor is littered with sacks of nuts. They have no register and shun digital scales. Your purchases are wrapped as they always have been, in paper tied with a string. The only nod to modernity, the scotch tape to seal your package closed. Walking into the Antica Drogheria is truly a step back in time.

Genoa has always been a port city and as such a city of immigrants. At one time in it's history Genoa was a center of trade for the spice business. One of the great gastonomic ironies of Genoa: for a city that traded spices, their cuisine is rather bland. Go figure. But, since Genoa still has a vibrant immigrant community you can count on this store to find all the culinary must haves for your kitchen. Even tabasco sauce from the United States! You can stand here next to a Chinaman or African and be an American next to an Italian and no one turns their head for we are all there for the same reason, to satisfy our gastonomic demands.

Buon Appetito!

Krista