Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Flavours of Florence and Tuscany
Tuscany is the orchard and vegetable garden of Italy, a vision
of rolling, vine-clad hills and silvery grey olive groves,
while the Ligurian sea yields a fabulous bounty of fish
and seafood. The cuisine is rustic and simple, but always
using the finest ingredients. It is said that Tuscany is
where Italian cooking was born, thanks to Catherine
de'Medici, an accomplished gourmet. Tuscans are known
as
mangiafagioli
(bean eaters), because pulses are used so
much in soups and robust stews. Juicy steaks from prized Valdichiana
cattle, pork and game all feature strongly. Fungi are highly prized;
even more so are truffles - “black gold”.
Black truffles
EARTH AND WATER
feature of the region and
prosciutto di cinghiale
(wild
boar ham) is a rich, gamey
delicacy. Soups and
minestrones are also very
popular, often made with
beans, especially the white
kidney beans known as
cannellini
. The most typical
pasta is papardelle, broad
noodles that are often served
with a rich hare sauce, called
papardelle alla lepre.
The shining star of meat
dishes is tender, succulent
beef steak,
bistecca alla
fiorentina
. The best is from
cattle raised in Valdichiana,
south of Arezzo, delicious
marinated with extra virgin
olive oil and herbs, grilled
over an open fire and usu-
ally served very rare. Tuscans
are passionate hunters and
6 months old, washed in wine
2 months old, rolled in
sun-dried tomatoes
Freshly harvested Tuscan olives,
for pressing into olive oil
6 months old
3 weeks old
FIRST AND FOREMOST
Tuscan olive oil is simply
outstanding in quality. This
“liquid gold” has countless
uses and is an integral part
of
crostini
, slices of toasted
bread smeared with olive oil
on which are spread differ-
ent toppings, such as
crostini
alla Toscana
, topped sautéed
with chickens livers.
Salumi
producers are an important
18 months old
Some of the varieties of ewe's milk Pecorino cheese found in Tuscany
REGIONAL DISHES AND SPECIALITIES
The olive is the staple ingredient - even the
branches of the tree are used for grilling.
Soups vary from those enriched with beans
such as
ribollita
(“boiled again”), a rich
soup of beans, herbs and vegetables
whose second boiling makes it thicker
and intensifies the flavour, to the simple,
thin vegetable
acquacotta
(literally meaning
“cooked water”) to which an egg is added
before serving. The vast array of salamis and
cold cuts includes
finocchiona
, salami flavoured
with wild fennel. Robust stews include
lepre in dolce e
forte
. This hare stew is cooked with citrus fruits, cocoa,
garlic, rosemary, vegetables and red wine. For the sweet-
toothed, Tuscany offers
ricciarelli
(diamond-shaped
almond cakes),
cantucci
(above) and
torta di riso
- a
golden, rich rice cake that is mouthwateringly delicious.
Cantucci
Minestrone alla fiorentina
This thick vegetable and bean
soup may also contain
chicken and pork giblets.
