#sesame seed and poppy seed and orange cranberry all of which are pretty good

[boyfeminism]

guy whose work is letting hir experiment with the challah recipe <3

[thenourishedtraveler-blog]

Of all the Italian cities I have been to in Italy (and I’ve visited quite a few), I would say that Milan is the “trendiest” when it comes to groceries. Not only does the city have a wealth of small independent organic grocery stores, but vendors in Milan also sell products that I haven’t been able to find in other cities, such as sprouted foods. The organic grocery stores are large and have excellent selection. It may not be the most aesthetically pleasing of Italy’s city’s, but you will definitely eat well while here!

ORGANIC GROCERY STORES

Bio c’ Bon is a chain of grocery stores with three locations in Milan. Some of the more interesting products that they carry include sprouted pancake flour, spirulina powder, maca powder, acai powder, popcorn made with coconut oil, organic mascarpone, honeycomb, carob powder, raw sprouted crackers, and oat cakes without dairy or wheat. It is a good place to buy butter and cheese. They also have bulk dry foods and a medium-sized produce section.

Address: Corso di Porta Nuova, 52, 20121 Milano

Hours: 9am – 8pm Monday through Saturday; 10am – 7pm Sunday

Centro Botanico has three locations in Milan. In addition to being a grocery store they are also a cafe and have a mini bookstore that carries health-related books in Italian. They carry a large variety of products including wild fish in extra virgin olive oil in glass jars (I saw branzino, salmon, sardines, orata, tuna, and octopus), tuna burgers, pestos, tomato sauces, mustards, olive pastes, macrobiotic products, apple cider vinegar, lots of different olive oils, bruschetta, flours (such as chickpea, teff, millet, oatmeal, rye, and buckwheat), hummus, ghee, eggs, creme fraiche, kefir, water kefir, smoked fish, canned crab, and many flavors of jam (e.g. goji, pineapple and lemon, pomegranate, orange and ginger, fig, and rose hip).

Address: Via Cesare Correnti, 10, 20123 Milano

Hours: 9am – 7:45pm Monday through Saturday; 3pm – 7:30pm Sunday

NaturaSì is what I like to call the Whole Foods of Italy. This chain of organic grocery stores carries a wide selection of produce, dairy, meat, grains, legumes, house cleaning and personal care products, baking ingredients, and many other items.

Address: Corso Indipendenza, 7, 20129 Milano (there are other locations in the city as well)

Hours: 9am – 7:30pm Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday

Superpolo is one of my favorite markets in Milan. It’s a well-sized organic market that also has an amusing imports section stocked with minced meat, marmite, canned pumpkin, Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, and crappy American peanut butter. Besides selling products I have never seen before anywhere, such as powdered banana and powdered cranberries, they also sell some very taste goose and duck foie gras and wild salmon eggs. Superpolo has biodynamic rice, orzo, and farro; a wide variety of whole grains (e.g. couscous, millet, teff, amaranth, bulgar, quinoa, oatmeal, etc.) and seeds (e.g. chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, poppy, and sesame); frozen seafood; pickled quail eggs; Asian products (e.g. umeboshi, mirin, teriyaki sauce, tamari, miso, and umeboshi vinegar); maple syrup; and dairy (including organic buttermilk, biodynamic Greek yogurt, goat milk yogurt, ghee, emmental cheese, and organic grilling cheese). They also sell produce, supplements, natural cosmetics, essential oils, and personal care products.

Address: Viale Coni Zugna, 65, 20144 Milano

Hours: 9am – 8pm Monday through Saturday; 10am – 1pm, 4pm – 7:30pm Sunday

SempreBio is a smallish organic market and cafe combo. They carry all of the basics that one could need to stock a pantry, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Some interesting finds include raw cocoa beans, kamut flour, black quinoa, brown millet, several biodynamic cheeses (e.g. ricotta, robiolina fresca, primosalino, and crescenza), kuzu, and ghee. They also sell Pacari chocolate, which is a single-origin, raw, organic, and biodynamic brand of chocolate (and very tasty, might I add).

Address: Via Giuseppe Broggi, 13, 20129 Milano

Hours: 9am – 8pm Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday

Piacere Terra is an organic food store chain like Naturasi. It is located rather far from the city center to the northwest. I personally didn’t make it out there, but I include it here for completeness.

Address: Viale Brenta, 35A, 20139 Milano

Hours: 8:30am – 8pm Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday

Almaverde Bio Market is located on the northwestern side of the city, a bit of a ways from the center (i.e., you wouldn’t want to take a stroll here from downtown). It’s a combo market and cafe with your average bio offerings.

Address: Corso Sempione, 43, 20145 Milano

Hours: 8:30am – 8pm Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday

Biomì is a supermarket like Naturasi. If you are staying on the northern side of the city then it may be convenient for you. It is located quite a ways away from the city center but is accessible by public transport.

Address: Via Emilio de Marchi, 59, 20125 Milano

Hours: 10am – 2:30pm, 3:30pm – 8pm Monday through Friday; 10am – 8pm Saturday; closed Sunday

NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIC MARKETS

Il Casolino is rather small and probably out of the way for most people. In addition to the store it also has a cafe inside. The only unique items I saw at this store compared to other organic shops were the wild pecans and organic pine nuts. They of course carry all the standard fare of Italian bio stores, but do not have fresh produce. Pop in if its location is convenient for you, but otherwise I’d skip it.

Address: Via Paracelso, 10, 20129 Milano

Hours: 10:30am – 7:30pm Monday; 9:30am – 7:30pm Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday

Il Mercato Verde is the only shop in Italy where I have seen Dr. Bronner’s soap for sale, although unfortunately it is rather expensive. Also, if you’re looking for a Himalayan salt lamp you can pick it up here!

Address: Via Edoardo Bassini, 43, 20133 Milano

Hours: 8:30am – 7:30pm Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday

Mamma Natura is located far from the city center on the northeastern side of town. They sell bulk dry goods (e.g. grains, spices, teas, seeds, legumes, etc.), cosmetics, and have a cheese counter.

Address: Via Carnia, 7, 20132 Milano

Hours: 8:30am – 2pm, 4pm – 7:30pm Monday through Friday; 10am – 1pm, 4pm – 7:30pm Saturday/Sunday

Armonie nei Gusti is rather far to the northeast of the city center. They carry products for Celiacs, macrobiotic products, cosmetics, and organic packaged items (e.g. seeds, legumes, pastas, chocolate, tea, etc.).

Address: Viale don Luigi Orione, 14, 20132 Milano

Hours: 8:30am – 12:30pm, 3:30pm – 7:30pm Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday

SPECIALTY SHOPS

La Baita del Formaggio has an understated appearance from the street and would be easily passed by any pedestrian unless you knew what treasures lay in wait inside. This cheese shop and was one of the highlights for me while staying in Milan and I would recommend a visit to anyone who is passionate about cheese.

The cheeses will change depending on when you visit as some of them are seasonal, but during my visit La Baita had in stock taleggio la baita, pagnottella di capra, blue stilton, gouda, gorgonzola allo champagne, truffle cheese, and pecorino from Sardegna, to name a few. The gouda came in three different flavors: basil, tomato, and pepperoncino. I cannot rave enough about how amazing the flavor of the basil gouda was. In addition to their fantastic cheeses, they also have great customer service and the shop also has a small coffee bar. What else could one ask for in life?

  Address: Via Vincenzo Foppa 5, Milano

Hours: 8:30am – 10pm daily

Peck will cost you a pretty penny, but the food is top-notch and the location can’t be beat as it’s right in the heart of Milan. It’s a hybrid store with cold and hot foods bars, a cheese bar, wine cellar, deli, a fresh pasta bar, greengrocer, and patisserie. While it is probably not affordable for most to shop here for a full meal, the cheese bar is worth a visit. Some of the cheeses for sale include Roquefort, Coulommiers, sheep’s milk ricotta, Gorgonzola, Camembert, Brie, Crescenza, Stilton, Emmentaler, Sbrinz, Gruyere, Holzhofer, Fontina, Toma di Gressoney, and Gran Cru di Grotta. While I was there I picked up some slices of very tasty eggplant parmesan and potato gratin that was, quite literally, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Peck is a world of gastronomic wonders and a feast for the eyes filled with pâtés, Russian salad, endless spreads of seafood dishes, jellied meats for days, and numerous other hard to find treats for the taste buds.

Address: Via Spadari, 9, Milano

Hours: 3pm – 8pm Monday; 9am – 8pm Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday

  Gruppo Apicoltori Riuniti is a honey store dedicated to selling products from the art of apiculture (aka beekeeping). They sell a wide variety of Italian honeys and honey derivatives, such as propolis, propolis tinctures and sprays, pollen, etc.

Address: Piazzale Lagosta, 2, 20124 Milan

Hours: 3:30pm – 7:30pm Monday; 9:30am – 12:30pm, 3:30pm – 7:30pm Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday

Effecorta is a sustainable, zero-waste shop located in northern Milan. They stock products from local producers and use no packaging. Effecorta sells bulk pastas, cereals, legumes, rice, detergents etc.

Address: Via Franco Faccio, 11, 20161 Milan

Hours: 3:30pm – 7:30pm Monday; 9am – 1pm, 3:30pm – 7:30pm Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday

Il Supermarket del Celiaco is exactly what the name proclaims it to be: a supermarket for Celiacs. The store is a bit of a distance to the northwest from the city center, and you have plenty of good options for buying food stuffs for Celiacs in other organic stores in the city, but if you want an even bigger selection of Celiac-safe foods then go here.

Address: Largo Domodossola, 17, 20145 Milano

Hours: closed Monday and Sunday; 9am – 7:30pm Tuesday through Saturday

RAW MILK VENDORS

Unfortunately there are no raw milk vending machines in the city center or within walking distance of Milan. Some of the non-organic vending machines are reachable by public transport within around 45 minutes from the city center. You can look at a map of where all the vendors are by clicking here.

CONVENTIONAL GROCERY STORES

The most common grocery store chains you will see in Milan include Simply, Pam, Carrefour, and Esselunga. At Simply you can pick up items like DOP pecorino, Scaldasole certified biodynamic yogurt, and organic Sterzing-Vipiteno yogurt. And, of course, these supermarket chains are always good for picking up things like feminine care products and plastic bags.

Grocery Guide: Milan Of all the Italian cities I have been to in Italy (and I've visited quite a few), I would say that Milan is the "trendiest" when it comes to groceries.