If you are an adventurous foodie who likes to discover gastronomic treasures and loves street food, don't hesitate: Italy is your destination.

The market, or mercato, is a way of life for Italians, so visiting them is essential to get a feel for the country. No matter which region you visit, town or city, inland or coastal, you will always find a street, square or covered market with stalls selling prepared food and local products. You can find markets specialising in gastronomy and, depending on the time of year, markets specialising in a product such as white truffles in Alba or nougat in Cremona, but most of the time sellers of clothes, household goods or antiques mingle with delicatessens, fishmongers or fruit sellers. A fun and colourful chaos that will instantly make you fall in love.

If you are looking to immerse yourself in culinary traditions and taste authenticity, let yourself be conquered by Italian street food without fear or prejudice.

Due to its extroverted character, climate and multicultural influences, the south of the country could be said to be a paradise for lovers of "street food" where pizza in different formats reigns supreme alongside fried foods of all kinds and sweet or savory doughnuts seasoned with the spices of each region.

Enjoy fresh fish, fried, grilled, pickled or in salad, at the stalls you will find in ports and fishermen's markets along the entire coast of the country.

If you don't like getting your hands dirty and don't want to miss a minute of exploring the wonders that the country has to offer, you will always find a "delicious invention" such as a piadina, focaccia, pizza, bread or fried or baked dough with the sausages and cheeses typical of each town or region.

Those with a sweet tooth will fall for the creaminess of Italian ice cream, Sicilian cannoli, zeppoles (fritters), candied fruit, nougat and doughnuts.

A whole delicious universe of ready-to-eat bites that is impossible to detail due to its extraordinary variety and peculiarities of each area and that make Italy a unique destination for lovers of street food.