Delicious Tuscany

We all love Italian food, but there’s really no such thing. The truth is, in Italy there is only regional Italian food. Every one of the twenty regions offers its own unique dishes built on tradition, history and local produce. We are spoilt for choice travelling from one region to the next with the added bonus of many regional food festivals.

What is Tuscan food?

Tuscan food is based on the idea of cucina povera or “poor cooking”. A concept that started very literally, it’s about simple meals that are inexpensive and could easily be made in large quantities. It hasn’t changed much today, except that it’s by choice not economy. Tuscan cooking doesn’t use complicated seasonings or elaborate creations because they’re not needed. The fresh, high quality ingredients bring out the natural flavours in each dish.

Tuscany is famous for its local produce and meat, for its simplicity and rustic seasonal foods that are always full of flavour.

Here are a few traditional dishes that you will want to try.

Antipasto Fiorentino

Always a great introduction to local meats and cheeses, it’s hard to resist a plate of antipasti. An antipasto Fiorentino typically comes with bruschette, crostini, finnochiona (a soft salami flavoured with fennel), cured prosciutto and salsicce di cinghiale (wild boar sausages). Cheeses usually include pecorino Toscano, la caciota (a sweet, mild cheese) and goat cheese which is often served with honey. In fact, a plate of several local cheeses complimented with a variety of little pots of honey is one of my favourite lunches.

Tuscans love their soups. The hearty ribollita has been around since the Middle Ages and was considered to be “a poor man’s dish”. Ribollita means “twice boiled” because it can be made with leftovers. It is a vegetable and bread soup with the main ingredients being cabbage, chard, beans, potatoes, carrots and stale pieces of bread - classic comfort food. One cold day in Cortona I had been walking for hours and was starving. On that day in a tiny trattoria I ate the best ribollita of my life.

Pappardelle al Sugo di Cinghiale

You will see this wonderful pasta dish on most menus. The primo piatto dish is thin ribbons of pasta served with a fragrant wild boar sauce because there are wild boars all over the Tuscan countryside. Compared to ragu from Bologna, this ragu has a richer and nuttier flavour.

Another favourite pasta is pici, an ancient pasta thought to have originated in Siena, that is usually handmade with just flour and water. Served with a rich tomato sauce, garlic and a sprinkling of peperoncino, you are in pasta heaven.

Tagliatelle al Tartufo

Pasta covered in a truffle sauce is definitely one to try. Both black and white truffles are rare, only found in a few areas of the world. Tuscany has both kinds growing in its hills. Black varieties grow throughout, especially near Spoleto, while the white can be found around San Miniato. Both variations feature heavily in traditional Tuscan food and you’ll find versions of just about everything infused with tartufo.

Panzanella

An incredibly refreshing salad that is a winner on a hot summer day. This is a really simple dish with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and torn pieces of stale bread. It is tossed together with fresh basil or dried herbs, good quality olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Panini

The perfect snack, or lunch, when out exploring is a panino from a market stall. They are so good! There are many delicious combinations of meat and cheese, but I find it hard to go past a porchetta panino, which is a whole pig, de-boned and stuffed with seasoning of salt, pepper, herbs and roasted in an oven.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

For steak lovers, Bistecca alla Fiorentina is king. It comes from the Chianina, an Italian breed of cattle that is the largest breed of cattle in the world and one of the oldest in existence. The name comes from the Chiana Valley in Tuscany which is where Chianti wine is made. They can weigh up to 1,000 kilograms. The meat is high in protein and low in fat and cut thicker than normal steak. The outside is charred, leaving the inside rare, tender and full of flavour. Ask for your steak well-done at your peril. At best, you may get away with medium.

Torta della Nonna

The name says it all - Grandma’s Cake. This irresistible cake that is food for the soul has pine nuts and powdered sugar on top with yellow custard on the inside and a sweet pastry crust.

Cantucci con Vin Santo

What better way to end a meal than with cantucci con vin santo. Cantucci are delicious twice baked cookies that are served with a sweet dessert vin santo wine. The Tuscan tradition is to dip the cantucci in the vin santo which softens the cookie and adds sweetness.

You seriously can’t go wrong if you eat the local produce and specialties of the region. Be a little adventurous and try things that you would not normally eat. On many occasions, I eat food that I never eat at home, but I love it in Italy!

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb