The Craziest Food Market We’ve Ever Seen | Italy Episode 5

NEW SEASON: ITALY

POV Modena, Italy in the legendary culinary prestige of the Emilia-Romagna region AND experience the Mercato Storico Albinelli. This is a real take without the travel vlogger hype. This is the video I wish I had seen before going.

0:00 Intro in Modena Time’s Square
2:00 One Farmer’s Market to Rule Them All (Mercato Storico Albinelli)
5:10 25 Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar Tasting
9:04 Espresso at Cafe (People Are Dressed Bella)
12:00 Dinner at Traditional Modenese Restaurant
15:07 The Chestnut Man – Local Cuisine
17:59 UNESCO-listed Duomo in The Night
19:38 Duck Tape
21:33 Blue Light Incident at Hotel

In this video we venture into the iconic farmer’s market: Mercato Storico Albinelli, a covered market from the year 1931 brimming with fresh, local produce like seasonal fruits and vegetables—bleeding heart red tomatoes, wild foraged mushrooms, and endless stands of artichokes, pumpkins and fresh produce—sourced from nearby farms.

You’ll find Modena’s famed specialties, including aged Parmigiano Reggiano, with its nutty richness, and Prosciutto. Traditional barrel aged balsamic vinegar is in abundance scenting the air with that sweet-tangy elixir of life with plenty of options available for sampling at stalls.

Handmade pastas are a major highlight, with vendors offering handmade tortellini and tortelloni (also native to the region of Emilia-Romagna), sometimes stuffed with local cheeses or meats.

Fresh fish and seafood are displayed on Veronese marble counters, a nod to the market’s 1931 design, while butchers provide high-quality meats, including zampone, a traditional cured sausage. Bread and baked goods abound, from sourdough pizza to bensoni (traditional rolls), alongside sweets like torta Barozzi, a rich chocolate cake.

Other offerings include Italian cheeses, cured meats like mortadella and culatello, olives, jams, oils, spices, and even vegan gastronomy options. The market’s 65 stalls and shops create a bustling hub where you can taste, buy, or learn recipes, immersing you in Modena’s food culture.

This was one farmer’s market to rule them all.

Afterwards we head off to an epic cafe near the square for our quintessential Italian pre-espressos before the feast begins at a local restaurant “Enoteca Al Duomo”. It’s a well-ranked restaurant on google that has a diverse wine bar and features traditional Modenese cuisine located beside the Modena Cathedral (Duomo di Modena).

Housed in a historic building once used as the cathedral’s archives, it features an elegant interior with frescoed ceilings and outdoor seating with views of the UNESCO-listed Duomo.

The menu highlights local specialties like handmade tortellini, gnocchi, and lasagna with green noodles, often paired with rich ragù or balsamic vinegar reductions.

The “tortelli alla ricotta” with guanciale and spinach, and filetto di manzo all’aceto balsamico, are particularly praised. Fantastic meal, Megan’s got a delicious steak and I’m still reeling for not getting it myself.

We take to the streets for dessert and visit the Chestnut Man for a local delicacy of Italian “street food”, all the while being tormented by the Roman pizza-houses that we passed.

Night time views of the main square then off to finish off some monkey business at our hotel with a common competitor in the jungle, known as “blue light”.

No worries, that’s the unspoken primary purpose of duck tape.

God bless. This was a fun video to film and create as you know we love to feast.