How to Buy chicken in Italy
Ok, over there to the right is our chicken. In Italy, it's called a pollo. You can buy a pollo intero, a whole chicken. Or you can buy just the parts. In the Lunigiana, we buy a pollo ala busta, trussed for baking.
If you run your mouse cursor over the various parts of the chicken shown in dotted lines, you'll learn the words for each part you are likely to buy in Italian.
The Offal, or Frattaglie
Fegato is liver, Cuore is heart, and Stomaco is what we call the gizzard.
Chicken Backs
The chicken back, often used for broth, is called the schiena. This is important, because if you want broth you either have to make it yourself or use those salty cubes. I've never found a can of chicken broth in an Italian store. It doesn't mean they don't exist; I've just never come upon one.
Typical Chickens You'll Find in a Market in Italy
The best place to buy chickens is at the butcher shop, because they haven't been stewing in their own juices inside those horrible plastic trays. If you like great chicken, usually free range, look for polli nostrali, or "our own chickens." Beware that these usually come pretty intero, meaning they have the head, feet, and other unmentionables, just like in the picture.
At the market, you'll probably find a bewildering array of chickens. I asked my neighbor what to buy. She replied that you just point to the most yellow one and say "quello" or "that one!"
Do not, however, resort to buying a cheap gallina to roast. These are old hens to be used for brodo or broth, or for part of a good bollito misto.
Notes on Units of Measure and Language
The units of measure Italians use are based on the kilogram,divided into ten etti. Thus, one etto is a tenth of a kilogram, or .22 pounds. Due etti, or 2 etti, are .44 pounds. For a whole chicken, you'd ask for a pollo intero. It will be priced by the kilogram.
The chickens you see to the right were photographed in Florence's San Lorenzo Market in fall of 2008. The sign says that this is a real bargain, and it is: three chickens for €5.50. They're not huge, but man, what I would give to have three of these right now!
Take a Tour of San Lorenzo Market.
Shopping in an Open Air Market
To find out what an open air market is in Italy, come along with us to our local market via our Fivizzano Tuesday Market Video.
More Shopping in Italian Markets
How to Buy Salami in Italy | Food Shopping in Italy (From Italy Travel)
Italy on the cheap? Yes, you can do it if you live like the locals. Rent a vacation house or apartment and buy your food in markets (with Italy's fine wine, cheese, bread and salumi there's no need to even turn on a stove on those hot summer days). This page shows you how to aquire a chicken or chicken parts for your meal.
