Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tiny candlelit nook out back is perfect for a romantic moment over a cocktail. Food too.
(
www.cuculia.it
; Via dei Serragli 11;
10am-midnight Tue-Fri, 10am-1am Sat)
Understand
Gourmet Florence
Be it by sinking your teeth into a flavoursome
bistecca alla fiorentina
(T-bone steak), savouring the taste and
aroma of freshly shaved white truffles or sampling rustic specialities such as
trippa alla fiorentina
(tripe slow
cooked with onion, carrot, celery and tomatoes), you're sure to discover plenty of taste sensations when eating in
Florence.
The cuisine here has stayed faithful to its humble regional roots, relying on fresh local produce and eschewing
fussy execution. That's not to say that it lacks refinement - Florence is home to many highly skilled and interna-
tionally lauded chefs - but it's true to say that the hallmark of the local cuisine is its simplicity.
When here, be sure to try a
bistecca alla fiorentina,
but be prepared for it to come to the table
al sangue
(bloody). Accompanied by slow-cooked white beans, or sometimes roast potatoes, this signature dish relies on
the quality of its Chianina beef (from the Val di Chiana south of Florence) and the skill with which it has been
butchered and grilled. Wash it down with a Tuscan red wine - a Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montepulciano or
perhaps even a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Other local specialities include
cinghiale
(wild boar), best savoured in autumnal stews; antipasti plates featur-
ing fresh pecorino cheese made from sheep's milk, locally cured meats and
crostini
(lightly toasted pieces of
bread topped with liver pate); and
minestre
(soups) including
zuppa di fagioli
(bean soup),
ribollita
(a 'reboiled'
bean, vegetable and bread soup with black cabbage) and
pappa al pomodoro
(a thick bread and tomato soup).
Adventurous eaters need go no further than the city's
trippai
(tripe carts), where tripe
panini
(sandwiches) are
doused in
salsa verde
(a tasty pea-green sauce of smashed parsley, garlic, capers and anchovies). Such rustic,
powerfully flavoured treats stand in stark contrast to the refined joy of white truffles from San Miniato near Pisa
- best shaved over a bowl of pasta or risotto - and porcini mushrooms gathered in local forests and tossed
through
taglierini
(thin ribbon pasta). Both of these indulgences are surprisingly affordable and utterly delect-
able.
