Florence hides one of Italy's most surprising, controversial and ancient foods inside its historic street kiosks: lampredotto. It may seem strange in the cradle of the Renaissance, especially to a tourist, but offal and tripe are a fundamental part of the city's identity. Florence is full of trippai (tripe vendors) who have cooked the king of street-food sandwiches the old-fashioned way, on the street, for centuries — the absolute masterpiece of Italian nose-to-tail cooking.
Incredible but true: in one of the world's great art cities, culture isn't the only thing people are hungry for. When it comes to the stomach, lampredotto offers a chance to eat cheaply while diving into the authentic flavors of the local area. Typical of neighborhood markets and districts like San Lorenzo, this sandwich — at once moist and crisp, soft and juicy — has countless fans all over the world.
