Getting a Sense of Rione Ponte

The fifth rione of Rome, Italy, also known as Rione Ponte, has so much to provide visitors who come to experience the unique aspects this neighborhood has to offer. Passing through this district, all five human senses can be fulfilled by the broad variety of dining opportunities in which you taste, touch, smell, hear, and see in this rione.?

As a current tourist in this area, I have been able to immerse myself in the numerous flavors of local Italian food from various trattorias, sandwich shops, wineries, and gelaterias. Among the delicious savory dishes I have consumed, some of the most prominent flavors include basil, tomato, olive oil, cold-cut mozzarella, and prosciutto. Almost every day my classmates and I walk to a new panini shop for lunch. While our orders usually remain quite consistent, the freshness and exceptional quality of every ingredient allow for their potency, thus creating a distinguishing flavor between each individual element. Italian cuisine is infamous for its lack of additives due to the country's strict food regulations, and as stated by Erin Byrnes in her article titled “Food Regulations- Italy vs. The U.S.”, Italians care more about the quality rather than the quantity of their food and base their meals off of what is in-season to maximize freshness.?

Another main differentiator of the food in Rione Ponte is the texture embodied by each kind of bread. Depending on the variety and purpose it serves within a meal, the texture and hardness of the bread will vary. Ciabatta is an Italian white bread with a crunchy outside and a fluffy center, so it is frequently used to create sandwiches of all kinds. Every sandwich I have purchased in Italy (usually a classic caprese) has been made with ciabatta, and it allows for the perfect ratio of ingredients in every bite. Focaccia is a form of thick, seasoned flatbread that is dense and soft to the touch, so it is often served at the start of a sit-down meal as a small appetizer or antipasti. Topped with fresh herbs and a drizzle of smooth velvety olive oil, this savory snack is the perfect way to preface any entree.?

At dinner time it is common to order a glass of Italian wine, which greatly differs from American wine in many ways, one being its aroma. According to an article published by Vine Paradise, Italian wine is produced using grapes which are extensively cultivated in Italy, and the beverage is created using time-honored methods like fermentation. Every grape has a distinct flavor that is affected by the soil and climate in which it is cultivated. The process of both aging and producing Italian wine is more extensive than the cutting-edge methods used in the United States, thus contributing to its fullness and acidity. Because Italian wine is organically produced in this way, with every pour you can expect your nose to be filled with the smell of subdued, earthy aromas such as mushrooms, soil, minerals, or grass.?

On every street throughout Rione Ponte, you can find a handful of gelaterias which are all filled with over a dozen different flavors of sweet and creamy gelato. During my time here in Italy, I have learned how to spot the best, most authentic, Italian gelato based on its color and the container it is kept in. While every assortment of this dessert has its similarities and displays some shade of color, it is important to keep an eye out for light pastel pigmentation and silver circular tins when searching for the best of the best. I have learned from a few of the locals in Rione Ponte that real Italian gelato is created using natural flavoring and ingredients that produce these dull and muted tones due to their lack of artificial dyes. According to an article titled “A Quick Guide to Italian Gelato” by Local Aromas, gelato should be served fifteen degrees warmer than traditional ice cream, which is why it is best served in a tin can with a lid to properly conserve its freshness and creamy consistency.?The cost of this authenticity though, is that the label spelling out the name of each flavor will most likely read in Italian, so for foreign travelers like me, Google Translate often comes in handy.

One of the biggest challenges I have faced while studying abroad is the lack of English speakers in the area. Everywhere I go in the city, I am constantly surrounded by locals and travelers speaking their native language, and the majority of the time it is not a language familiar to me. At every trattoria, sandwich shop, winery, and gelateria I have visited, I have overheard people having conversations in Italian. This recognition is not one that is unique to me, though, because it occurs all throughout the neighborhood of Rione Ponte, as well as the entirety of Rome. However, a language barrier is not to be mistaken as a negative trait of the city, as it allows travelers to expand their knowledge and awareness of Italian culture. During my countless dining experiences in Rome, I have personally gained a greater respect for every employee who makes a conscious effort to efficiently communicate with me through some form of translation. Most servers I have encountered in the food industry have been able to fully understand my order and any questions or concerns I present them with, allowing for an uncomplicated interaction the majority of the time.?

Through every exchange with an Italian speaker, I am able to acquire an expanded vocabulary and gain a greater sense of confidence, as I strive to blend in with Roman culture. Within the unfamiliarity and discomfort that inevitably comes with navigating a new country, tourists like me can stretch their personal perimeters by stepping out of the limited worldview we once believed to be the full picture. It is only by removing yourself from cultural refuge that you can zoom out of this inadequate perception of the remainder of the world which undeniably coexists, and additionally invites you to dive deeper into experiencing all five of your senses more accurately.

Heather Fischer Sprandel Molly Jensen

?