Tuscany, genius, art and creativity at the table
3 minutes
Great the Tuscans, who every day turn their so-called poor cuisine into a Renaissance, in perfect harmony with the, protecting the culture of reuse and saving environment. Try it to believe.
The overture is dedicated to schiacciata all'olio, as good and simple as it gets, followed by pappardelle, whose name, derived from the dialect word 'pappare', is a whole programme. They are usually seasoned with meat and game ragout.
Taste the 'pici', a traditional Sienese dish, rough irregular noodles, seasoned with oil and breadcrumbs, and three other classics: pappa al pomodoro, ribollita and acquacotta, peasant recipes based on vegetables, tasty and inexpensive, useful for recycling stale bread.
Among the main courses, order two specialities from the Tuscan capital: the legendary Florentine steak and the 'cibreo', with chicken giblets, livers and crests cooked with butter and onion mashed in egg and lemon sauce. Also try coots alla Puccini and thrushes on the sweet and sour sauce spit, in the Lucca area, and the unmissable wild boar in from the Grosseto area, while if you are on the coast, try caciucco alla livornese, which requires at least five varieties of fish.
Don't overlook the unmistakable flavour of lardo di Colonnata, pecorino di Pienza, cured meats made from Cinta Senese - a very old breed of pig, - and finocchiona, with minced pork seasoned with fennel seeds and red wine.
Go wild with the desserts: from ricciarelli, biscuits with almond paste, to panforte, with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg, both from the Sienese land; from brigidini with aniseed seeds from Pistoia to brutti ma buoni, claimed by both Pistoia and Lucca. Over all, cantucci, Tuscany's most famous biscuits, and Alchermes, an aromatic liqueur used in the preparation of sweets, win out.
Among the wines, do not miss Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Montecucco Sangiovese and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Precious nectar of the earth is also the region's extra virgin olive oil, at the top for its quality.
An immersion in the flavours of Lunigiana, among mushrooms and chestnuts
Arrive in Pontremoli, in the province of Massa Carrara, a town to savour, starting with the Bianco Oro, an aperitif with a secret recipe, served in a glass of sparkling wine, followed by the 'herb cake', prepared with wild herbs and seasonal vegetables, with ricotta, pecorino, eggs and breadcrumbs, continuing with testaroli al pesto (with the scent of Liguria, a neighbouring region), and the mushrooms of Borgotaro, trifoliated, grilled or raw.
Before leaving, enjoy an amor - a double wafer sweet with a heart of cream, whose recipe is a secret - or Ramaino, a bread made with spices and candied fruit.
In Apella, a village in the Parco Nazionale dell'Appenino Tosco Emiliano, enjoy chestnut honey from Lunigiana, chestnut fritters, pattone (small cakes baked in chestnut leaves), bastard lasagne with chestnut flour and wheat flour.
In the Montereggio area, taste panigaccio, bread baked in terracotta dishes, called testi, heated over the fire, with pesto or with sliced meats and cheeses.
In Fivizzano, taste an ancient elixir made with tropical China and aromatic herbs, while in Fosdinovo, surrounded by verdant hills of vineyards and olive groves, enjoy the fragrant Vermentino dei Colli di Luni.
Typical dishes
Ribollita
You are in front of a local excellence that draws its fragrance from the choice and freshness of the products, from cabbage to potatoes, from onions to peas and courgettes. This ancient recipe with roots in the Middle Ages is ideal for warming up on cold winter days.
The Florentine steak
You would say that this is an easy dish to cook and that all you need is the right meat and the right cut (Chianina or Scottona beef, tall and on the bone). Yet, a few tricks need to be known to fully enjoy this famous dish. It is such a famous and identifiable dish that to order it you just have to say "una fiorentina, please!"
