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

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

In Italy, I learned that grocery shopping is often a…