The roasted chestnut vendors are in full effect!
Every December I grew up hearing those oh so important words in Nat King Cole's, The Christmas Song. The first sentence in the song, "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire," always left an image in my head.
Like I said, hearing that first sentence of the song left an image in my head. But I never really gave much thought to them as a culinary delight because in the U.S. there really aren't many roasted chestnut vendors on the street corners where I've lived each Christmas. Even though I had never seen them in person, I was left with this impression that roasted chestnuts mean cool weather. They mean happy times. They mean Christmas is near.
If you've never had a roasted chestnut, try it. They are slightly sweet, slightly smoky, nutty, warm and have a texture that reminds me of sweet potatoes. Kind of gritty, kind of mash-y.
They are perfect for a stroll with a loved one through an Italian piazza on a cold evening. Arm in arm, bundled in coats and scarves and still keeping close, feeding on each other's warmth. There's something magical about walking through a piazza artistically lit up at night by its fountains and restaurants. The sounds of water splashing on 400-year-old marble, high heels on the cobblestone, waiters politely trying to draw you into their restaurant by saying "Buona Sera," good evening. They all play their part. Then enter roasty, toasty chestnuts into the equation. Well that, my friends, THAT is what we in the writing biz call romance. And it is completely, totally VASGO-worthy.
This was all found at Piazza Navona. A must-see to any person visiting Rome, especially in the evening.
Now take a look at the guy below. He's got an intelligent business plan. This photo is of his roasted chestnut stand in October. Just before the cool fall weather really hit, he used the small drum, and used fewer chestnuts, fewer materials, etc. because his demand wasn't that high. Notice the vendor is wearing short sleeves? That is your proof the next two photos were taken in October. Early October. I think he was the only vendor in Piazza Navona during that time of year.
I went to him a few weekends ago. I walked up to his stand, looked over the chestnuts to see if they passed the visual inspection. They did. So I asked, how much are they? "Quanto costano?"
His answer: "5 Euro."
All the romance left my brain and VASGO's alter ego from the past, Corporate America Sales Guy, made a brief appearance.
My answer: "Troppo caro!" Too expensive! I did the one move every sales person has at his/her disposal to get the other party to counter with a lower price. It also pressures people to make their decision faster.
The Patent-Pending Walkaway Move. It can be done in many forms. Verbally is most common. A great example is "I didn't really want them anyway. Especially not at that price." Physically beginning to walk away is particularly effective. But not too fast. You need to let them know they can still get you... but only for a discount. Combinations of the two are highly effective.
Since I had a language barrier, I didn't go with just the verbal routine. Physical interaction would have to do the talking. Let the show begin!
My face said I was pensive. Should I spend that much??? Then it went into concern. My hands followed that by waving no thanks. Again, I repeated the important words troppo caro, too expensive, a couple of times and then slowly inched my way away from the stand.
One foot stepped away and I heard, "4 Euro."
Another foot stepped away and I heard, "3 Euro."
And that's when I felt like I would be getting a fair enough deal. I turned my head back to him. "Tre Euro?" I replied.
"3 Euro," he confirmed.
Not exactly the most romantic thing in my book, but saving 2 Euro might mean I can do a different romantic thing with my expert another day. Like eating more chestnuts.
The last weekend in November, things changed a bit.
A Christmas market opened up. Crowds filled the piazza. There were many more vendors there and at many nearby intersections. They each used much larger drums to roast the chestnuts over coals. The colder weather brought on so much more demand for their roasty, toasty product. That higher demand also made it much more difficult to bargain. I watched one person ask how much it cost and the vendor said 5 Euro. The guy started to walk away and I expected the vendor to go through my experience, but he just let him walk away. I guess the vendor knew he had the upper hand.
Even for 5 Euro at their peak demand, I believe it is still worth it to experience Romantic Rome the way I did. It's a cheap thing to do in Rome and will create memories you'll never forget!
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