Rome’s history is incredibly long and fascinating, and so is its culinary tradition. Testaccio, today a busy and lively borough which never lost its popular and authentic character. It’s the perfect place to explore both the history and cuisine. Since Roman times, the area hosted the emporium, a river port where the boats hailing from the several corners of the empire docked to unload different goods. A market area since then, Testaccio is also famous for another reason: here was born the local culinary tradition of the so-called quinto quarto, or five quarters – referring to the habit of cooking and eating offal – due to the presence of the old slaughterhouse. Today, the borough honors its origins being the heart of the most genuine Roman food scene. You can experience it browsing around the market stalls, dining in some of the best traditional restaurants of the city, grabbing delicious street food or having a drink in an up-to-date venue. I’ll show you my favorite spots, while pointing out the milestones of the local history and some examples of the contemporary artistic soul of the borough.