{"id":6608,"date":"2014-04-11T02:07:47","date_gmt":"2014-04-11T01:07:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=6608"},"modified":"2025-01-13T10:24:34","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T10:24:34","slug":"traditional-tuscan-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/traditional-tuscan-food","title":{"rendered":"Traditional Tuscan Food &#8211; Top Dishes to Try"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Everybody loves Italian food \u2013 but what if I told you there\u2019s no such thing? The truth is, in Italy there is only <i>regional<\/i> Italian food. Each region offers delicious and unique dishes based on its long history and location. And Tuscany\u2019s world-renowned Tuscan food is no exception!<\/p>\n<p>Famous for its local produce and meat, for its simplicity and seasonal foods, let\u2019s take a closer look at some traditional Tuscan food.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21807\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21807\" class=\"wp-image-21807 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0474.jpg\" alt=\"Lush green hillsides in Tuscany.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0474.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0474-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21807\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Not only is the food delicious in Tuscany, the views aren&#8217;t too bad either.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/traditional-tuscan-food\/#What_is_Tuscan_food\" >What is Tuscan food?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/traditional-tuscan-food\/#What_are_the_most_popular_Tuscan_dishes\" >What are the most popular Tuscan dishes?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/traditional-tuscan-food\/#%E2%80%A6_and_to_drink\" >\u2026 and to drink?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Tuscan_food\"><\/span><b style=\"font-size: 1.17em; line-height: 1.5em;\">What is Tuscan food?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Tuscan food<\/strong> is based on the Italian idea of <i>cucina povera <\/i>or \u201cpoor cooking.\u201d A concept that started very literally, it\u2019s about simple meals that are inexpensive and could easily be made in large amounts. Today it remains largely the same &#8211; but by choice instead of economy. Tuscan cooking doesn\u2019t use complicated seasonings or elaborate creations because they\u2019re not needed.<\/p>\n<p>Instead it\u2019s made using fresh, high-quality ingredients that bring out the natural flavors in each dish, simple or not. Food doesn\u2019t have to travel far in Tuscany, the region\u2019s gentle hills are the perfect source and locally grown produce, titled \u201c<i>nostrale\u201d <\/i>or \u201cours,\u201d is abundant.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Tuscan food is traditionally hearty and made with simple ingredients \u2013 ones easily found in the countryside \u2013 with bread beans and roasted meats serving as the base of most traditional Tuscan meals. Whether foraging for truffles or mushrooms, taking in the grape harvest or sampling a genuine bottle of Tuscan olive oil, here local and homegrown is a lifestyle!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21812\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21812\" class=\"wp-image-21812 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0381.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of freshly made tiramisu in a white ceramic bowl.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21812\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Can you say no to these classic Tuscan dishes?<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_most_popular_Tuscan_dishes\"><\/span><b>What are the most popular Tuscan dishes?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Like any Italian region, Tuscany has its own ingredients, recipes and hyper-local food traditions that are best to stick to while eating out in Tuscany. Start your meal with an <i>antipasto<\/i> of cured sliced meats or <i>affettati misti<\/i>, always popular, or try something more particular and order <i>crostini di fegato<\/i>, thin slices of lightly toasted bread spread with a chicken liver pate. Don\u2019t let the word liver turn you away, it has a rich, rustic taste and it\u2019s good for you as well!<\/p>\n<p>Tuscans are particularly fond of their soups. Try the <i>ribollita<\/i>, a vegetable and bread soup that functions as a delicious and classic comfort food.\u00a0<i>Papa al pomodoro<\/i>, a tomato soup, is perfect for the winter and during summer you have the <i>panzanella,<\/i> a kind of cold salad of bread soaked in balsamic vinegar and mixed with onions and tomatoes, basil all topped with olive oil of course!\u00a0(Check out our post\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-foods-for-winter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">6 Italian Foods Perfect for a Winter Day<\/a>!)<\/p>\n<p>Another favorite is cannellini beans. Tuscans are often called <i>mangiafagioli, <\/i>bean eaters, for a reason and you can find them prepared in many ways. Try them in a soup like <i>zuppa di fagioli<\/i> or in <i>fagioli all\u2019uccelletto<\/i>, a side dish of cannellini beans stewed with tomatoes, garlic and sage. Our favorite is <i>fagioli<\/i> <i>con salsiccia<\/i>, beans with sausage, perhaps with a nice glass of Chianti!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21814\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21814\" class=\"wp-image-21814 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0362.jpg\" alt=\"A woman eating typical Tuscan dishes and drinking wine.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0362.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0362-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21814\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Not only is Tuscan food delicious, it pairs perfectly with wine.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019d rather have pasta the famous <i>tagliatelle al tartufo,<\/i> pasta covered in a truffle sauce, is definitely one not to pass up. Both black and white truffle varieties are very rare, only turning up in a few areas of the world. Luckily for visitors of the region, Tuscany has both kinds growing in its hills. Black varieties grow throughout, especially near Spoleto, while the white have been found around San Miniato. Both variations feature heavily in traditional Tuscan food and you&#8217;ll find versions of just about everything infused with\u00a0<em>tartufo<\/em>, from balsamic vinegar to\u00a0<em>pecorino<\/em> cheese.<\/p>\n<p>You can also try the <i>pappardelle alla lepre, <\/i>very wide egg noodles in a strong-sauce made from wild hare, the king of Tuscan pasta, or a variant of the sort such as pasta with a wild boar sauce. You\u2019ll find many roasted meats in Tuscan cuisine, particularly wild game such as deer, pheasant or wild boar used as sauces for pasta or as the main course, <i>il secondo<\/i>, itself.<\/p>\n<p>A mixed meat platter or roasted, wine-braised rabbit or duck make for a great <i>secondo<\/i>, however the <i>Bistecca Fiorentina<\/i> is an absolute must-try. This large T-bone steak, traditionally from the Chiana valley, is so thick that it must be cooked on its front, back <i>and<\/i> side and usually weighs three to four pounds. Though delicious, this is one meal to split with a friend!<\/p>\n<p>Finish your meal with classic Tuscan <i>cantucci<\/i> dipped in <i>vin santo<\/i>. Cantucci are often called biscotti di Prato, named after the Tuscan town most famous for them are the Tuscan variety of the twice-baked cookies we call \u201cbiscotti.\u201d Dunk these hard almond cookies in to a small glass of sweet dessert wine, vin santo, to soften them and clean your palate after a great meal! Or, if you\u2019d like to give truffles a try in a less rustic, more sweet environment, try ordering <i>gelato al tartufo<\/i>, a scoop of gelato with truffle shavings on top!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21796\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21796\" class=\"wp-image-21796 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome-0010.jpg\" alt=\"A man slicing thin slices of cheese.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome-0010.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome-0010-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21796\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Traveling just for typical Tuscan dishes is worthwhile.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%A6_and_to_drink\"><\/span>\u2026 and to drink?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Well, wine of course! Tuscany is wine country and you can\u2019t go wrong sampling one of its phenomenal wines. Each town offers its own wine, and it can be overwhelming to choose. If that\u2019s the case, go with the <i>vino della casa<\/i>, house wine, as it will likely be a delicious Tuscan table wine.\u00a0For more, don\u2019t miss our guide to <a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/tuscany\/wine-tasting-in-tuscany-and-florence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wine-tasting in Tuscany<\/a>\u00a0with our favorite regions and how to get there!<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Montalcino and Montepulciano are two classic reds, the former split between the full-bodied Brunello di Montalcino and the lighter, younger Rossi di Montalcino. Montepulciano, another long-respected red wine, is slightly less complex (and less expensive!) than the Brunello.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21816\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21816\" class=\"wp-image-21816 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0328.jpg\" alt=\"A woman raining a glass of Italian wine.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0328.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0328-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21816\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">More wine to go with our Tuscan food, please!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Another Tuscan wine you&#8217;re sure to have heard of is the Chianti \u2013 a versatile wine produced throughout central Tuscany. In fact, the Chianti Classico, produced between the hills between Florence and Siena, is said to have been the first officially established wine zone in the world, dating back to 1716. Pair your meal of Tuscan food with a glass of Chianti and enjoy the flavors and traditions of Tuscany in every plate!<\/p>\n<p>Travel to Prato for the mortadella and cantucci, Carmignano for the figs or Montalcino for the wine. Head to Pistoia for Tuscan bread or chestnut cake or Pienza for the <i>pecorino<\/i>, the sheep\u2019s milk cheese that the city is famous for (the great shopping is just another benefit!) Tuscany is a foodie\u2019s dream but you don\u2019t have to be a foodie to thoroughly enjoy these Tuscan treats!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21815\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21815\" class=\"wp-image-21815 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0337.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people cheering wine glasses at a long dining table.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0337.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0337-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21815\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cheers to good food and even better wine!<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Is your mouth watering yet? For your own gourmet taste of Tuscany, check out our <a title=\"Tuscany Day Trip from Rome\" href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/tuscany-day-trips-from-rome\/\">Day Trip from Rome<\/a>. We traversed the region looking for the best food, wine and cheese (tough job, we know) so we could offer you what we&#8217;re confident is the best possible day in Tuscany. Shopping for cheese in Pienza; enjoying lunch on the terrace of an organic farm; and sampling Brunello at one of Montalcino&#8217;s most famous vineyards. And that&#8217;s just to start. For more information see our <a title=\"Tuscany Day Trip from Rome\" href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/tuscany-day-trips-from-rome\/\">Tuscany Day Trip from Rome<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-8088\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/walks-pinterest-735-X-1500-2-502x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Florentine steak, always cooked rare, is one of the most mouth-watering specialties of Tuscany. Find out the others!\" width=\"502\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8089\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Copy-of-10-BEAUTOF-8.jpg\" alt=\"Pecorino is one of the most mouth-watering specialties of Tuscany. Find out the others!\" width=\"620\" height=\"775\" \/><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everybody loves Italian food \u2013 but what if I told you there\u2019s no such thing? The truth is, in Italy there is only regional Italian food. Each region offers delicious and unique dishes based on its long history and location. And Tuscany\u2019s world-renowned Tuscan food is no exception! Famous for its local produce and meat, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":21813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[65,70,67],"ppma_author":[161],"class_list":["post-6608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-wine","tag-act-like-a-local","tag-traditions","tag-tuscany"],"authors":[{"term_id":161,"user_id":40,"is_guest":0,"slug":"ginamussio","display_name":"Gina Mussio","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9497ce1b0417babd82886ad23b18998?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"Mussio","first_name":"Gina","job_title":"","description":"Gina is a Midwesterner living in Lombardy, Italy where she writes about Italian culture, travel and food. She is a bilingual primary school teacher by day, forever interested in developing cross-culture communication skills across languages. Gina loves touring Italy's beautiful and tiny borghi with her family and exploring Italy's culture through its culinary history."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6608"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6608"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22833,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6608\/revisions\/22833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6608"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=6608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}