Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
weight in gold. San Miniato
produces about a quarter of
Italy's truffle crop, including
the prized white truffle.
SWEET DELIGHTS
Chestnuts are plentiful and
have many uses. They, with
almonds and honey, are the
main ingredients in some
favourite and famous recipes.
Castelnuovo della Garfagnana
produces a superb chestnut
cake, called
torta garfagnana.
Panforte, the Christmas cake
originating from Siena, is a
rich mix of fruits, nuts and
spices. For something a little
less rich, almond
cantucci
biscuits are sublime dipped
into sweet
vin santo
wine.
A colourful assortment of local produce
everything from the smallest
songbird to the largest wild
boar features on menus.
Hare is a special favourite.
Seafood and fish includes
especially good red mullet
(triglie)
from Livorno and
cacciucco
soup, claimed as
the ancestor of
bouillabaisse.
many dishes. But the star
and most highly prized fungi
hide underground, waiting to
be sniffed out by hunters
with their keen-scented dogs
- the truffle
(tartufo)
. The
location of truffle troves is a
closely-guarded secret as
they are, literally, worth their
TUSCAN TREATS
Cacciucco di Livorno
Rich
tomatoey fish soup served
over toasted garlic bread.
Cantucci
Sweet, very hard
almond biscuits.
Cheeses
Ricotta, Mucchino,
(cow's milk made near Lucca),
Pecorino, and Cacciotte (made
with ewe, cow and goat milk).
Chestnuts
Made into flour,
pancakes, soup and sweet
cakes like
castagnaccio,
flavoured with rosemary.
Chianti
The fine Tuscan red
wine, used in many recipes.
Crostini
Toasted bread which
is smeared with olive oil and
rubbed with garlic.
FUNGI FORAYS
From late August to early
October Tuscans are seized
by fungi fever. Armies of
people with baskets make
an annual pilgrimage to the
Garfagna, Mugello and
Maremma for prize pickings.
The most sought-after are
porcini
(boletus or cep).
Picking tends to be limited
by licence and is certainly
only advisable to those who
know their edible fungi. Out
of season, dried wild
mushrooms accompany
An array of beans on display in a
Tuscan market square
Pappardelle alla Lepre
Thick
noodles are served with a
sauce of hare cooked with
herbs and red wine.
Arista alla Fiorentina
Pork
loin is roasted with rose-
mary in a recipe dating
from the 15th century.
Zuccotto
In this Tuscan
speciality, sponge cake is
filled with almonds, hazel-
nuts, chocolate and cream.
