Lazio is notable for dishes featuring milk-fed lamb (abbacchio), veal (vitello), Parma ham (saltimbocca), thin-cut steak and offal, all of which are served with delicious herbs and seasonings. Best fish choices in Rome include sea bass (spigola), fried cod (baccalà), bream (orata) and turbot (rombo). Artichokes (carciofi) are scattered all over menus through the winter, before spring heralds the vignarola - a tasty blend of peas, fava beans, and artichokes served with cured pork cheek. Fried sweetbreads are also a Roman speciality.
Rome is rich in markets and this is often reflected in the wonderful variety of superb vegetables served in the city's restaurants. Beans are used a good deal in the cuisine and appear in many dishes, hot and cold. On a cool winter's day the visitor seeking a warming lunch could do no better than to choose a tasty minestrone soup, which is another of the area's specialities.
Standard ‘tourist menus’ generally offer good value, beginning with bread and olive oil with soup or pasta; a simple meat or fish dish with vegetables (contorni) for secondi; and cheese or fresh fruit to finish; accompanied by a carafe of locally produced Frascati white or red wine from Tuscany. As a rule, main dishes do not come with vegetables, which are ordered separately.
Whether you are dining in a no-frills trattorie or a more formal ristorante, owners and chefs invariably take pride in sourcing the best seasonal produce. Vegetarians can expect most first (primi) pasta courses to be meat-free; other choices include a seasonal vegetable 'fritto misto' ('mixed fried') or side dish combo, the verdure miste ('mixed green'). Kosher choices are limited because of the prevalence of meat and cheese, particularly pork.
As elsewhere in Italy, pizza remains a popular staple food for the restaurant and the street, and the Roman version is a hybrid between the thick crust, rustic Neopolitan variety and the thinner, more fancy Northern version. Away from the main tourist areas, most restaurants only serve pizza at dinner time.
The neighbourhoods of Trastevere, San Lorenzo and Testaccio are known for offering reasonably priced, authentic Roman cuisine; whilst restaurants around Campo de'Fiori and Piazza Navona are pleasurable places to dine, with musicians on hand to entertain.
Virtually every bar and dining establishment in Rome will offer first-rate filter coffee; Italians regard frothy cappuccinos as a morning drink and rarely a post-prandial treat, when the pick-me-up expresso or macchiato is preferred. Ice creams are sensational, creamy gelato and refreshing granita (sorbets) come in a host of enticing flavours, such as coffee, coconut, liquorice or sour cherry, that are lovingly prepared for an incomparable all-day dessert.
If one to write of Rome and omit mention of its gustatory delights the whole world would protest, because in Rome eating is an art and cooking a science, and he who does not know not what Rome provides knows neither art nor science.
Electronic commerce - a multi billion dollar industry.
The terms e-commerce or ecommerce are extremely popular nowadays, and it seems more and more businesses are considering some form of online sales or online promotion. According to Forrester Research ecommerce generated sales worth US $12.2 billion in 2003. E-commerce has the exact same features of a local business - sales, distribution, marketing and servicing of goods - except it all happens over the Internet. Millions of online marketplaces using e-commerce techniques can be found on the world wide web and hundreds more are born every day. In the IT world, ecommerce is defined as an electronic business application that has the primary goal of facilitating online transactions. From e-marketing, online marketing and automated inventory management systems, electronic commerce also integrates other features and tools such as supply chain management or electronic funds transfer. Of course, e-commerce wouldn't be possible without online transaction processing and different data collection and storing systems.
Why e-commerce works
There are different aspects that make e-commerce the power source of all online marketplaces:
Value for money - there are fewer costs to worry about when it comes to e-commerce, so vendors can offer their merchandise at lower prices. In fact, this is the most important characteristic of all the large online marketplaces that exist today.
Personal attention - many ecommerce online marketplace websites offer personalized sales web pages and free buying guides and resources.
Belonging to a community - each online marketplace aims to become your "favorite Internet shopping zone". Many attract visitors over and over - often as paying customers, by creating a sense of community through forums and chat rooms, as well as loyalty programs.
Prompt service - a good online marketplace will offer lightning fast order response and distribution management.
One stop shop - many e-commerce online marketplace businesses try to create a complete experience for the visitor, where he or she can choose from a huge variety of products and services.
Time saving tools - such online businesses often provide customers with integrated search features as well as other comparison tools that help a customer find the product in a timely manner.
The online auction business model
This sort of online marketplace relies on customer's bids on different products. The most popular online marketplaces that use the online auction business model are eBay and Amazon, but there are now thousands of reputable virtual marketplaces where sellers and customers meet. Online marketplaces such as eBay simply facilitate the transaction between sellers and clients and they also offer product display, bidding tools and payment options. Here are the main positive features and strengths of the online auction business model:
International sales - as this online marketplace reaches a global audience, sellers and buyers are no longer constrained by location.
24/7 availability - since the system of purchasing and selling items is automated, you can place or receive bids at any time of the day or night.
Buying intensity - some interesting sociological phenomena define online marketplaces such as eBay. There are many similarities between bidding on a product and gambling, and the person that buys the product is announced as the "winner".
High numbers of sellers and clients - the auction process favors both sellers and bidders, and most large online marketplaces encourage frequent participation in their programs.
Spiraling - this refers to the fact that the online auction business model works like a spiral, with more sellers attracting more bids, and vice versa. The huge success of eBay is based on this phenomenon.
Consumer surplus - the online auction business model uses the so called first degree price discrimination. This represents the price that is above the market's line but also situated under the demand of the consumers.
Both Stefano Sandano & Ravii are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Stefano Sandano has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Affiliate Programs and Cosmetic Surgery. Stefano Sandano is an archaeologist of Rome and is the owner of the website where you can find more informations about tips and tricks. Stefano Sandano's top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.
Ravii has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family Travel, SEO Articles and Computers and The Internet. Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips & hints, Points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques & insights pertaining to Google Adsense, Do please browse for more information at our website :-. Ravii's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.