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 moved from the US to Italy, I was surprised by how different grocery shopping was.

I noticed that Italians seemed to shop for groceries more frequently than Americans.

Some Italian grocery stores welcome dogs, and even have special carts for them.

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 In Italy, I learned that grocery shopping is often a multi-stop process.

I'd pick up fresh produce, cheeses, and cured meats from a local market like Mercato Trionfale in Rome, then head to a small supermarket nearby for pantry staples like pasta, olive oil, or cleaning supplies .

In my experience, it was less about convenience and more about quality — I'd get the best peaches from the fruit vendor who knew me by name, or my favorite prosciutto from the butcher who gave me a recommendation.

This is very different from my experience in the US, where I often go to one big grocery store or place an order on Instacart for everything I need.

People seemed to shop more frequently, too I shopped for groceries more often when I lived in Italy.