I'm an American who lived in Rome. These were the 6 most surprising things about grocery shopping in Italy.

When I lived in Italy, I was surprised by how different the grocery shopping experience was compared to the US.

Jenna Curcio

When I first moved from the US to Italy in 2022, I expected some cultural differences, like slower-paced dinners, smaller coffee sizes, and fewer 24/7 conveniences.However, what surprised me most was how different something as simple as grocery shopping felt. The products on the shelves weren't the only thing that had changed — I felt the entire rhythm, environment, and unspoken etiquette of the chore had, too.Though I returned to the States earlier this year, here are six things about grocery shopping in Italy that I'm still thinking about.Grocery shopping was rarely just one stop

I often made multiple grocery stops in Italy, rather than buying everything at one store like I do in the US.

Jenna Curcio