Turin
OBSERVING THIS CITY’S public market–one of Europe’s largest–isn’t only culinary eye candy, but an accurate depiction of the social dynamics currently shaping the Continent. Amid the colorful vegetable and fruit stalls, bargain-seeking pensioners jostle with hyperactive restaurateurs looking for quality versus price. The chaotic causeways intermittently turn into uniform paths as headscarved mothers, replete with the formless raincoat that has come to symbolize Islamic identity, maneuver forth with baby strollers.

More telling is the meat and poultry section. Located in a corner removed from the displays of veal, goat, rabbit, and boar steaks (a local delicacy), is the halal booth for Turin’s growing Muslim community. There’s a steady stream of skull-capped Moroccans and jeans-clad Somali customers, generating business comparable to the surrounding kiosks. A “Prosciutto” sign is surprisingly displayed among the advertised cuts, undoubtedly deriving from another source than a hog’s leg.