Food and Wine of Tuscany Italy - Travel Guide & Information

This description page of Tuscany, region Of Italy, will guide you in planning your trip to Italy and help you to find useful travel information about the Food & Wine of this Italian Region.

Food (Cibo)

It is said that the only way to enjoy Italian food more, is to eat Italian food in Italy.

Toscana, arguably the region with the most epicurean image, reflects the very best of Italy’s cuisine—soothingly simple, exquisitely fresh, and judiciously dashed with favorite aromatics like thyme, rosemary, sage, basil and fennel.

Inspired by cucina povera, or peasant cookery, the basis for dishes that have made Toscana and Tuscan cooking renowned around the world, it is timeless and ageless – enhanced only by the creative geniuses of Toscana’s incredible chefs.  Using available ingredients and a wealth of knowledge, protectively passed down through families and time, Tuscan cooks create savory combinations of vegetables, beans, wholesome, hearty breads, fruity olive oil and meats. The key to goodness is fresh and available.

Food is a continuous pleasure to the Tuscans as they welcome each new season with its different foods and tastes.  From the young fava beans, wild asparagus, sweet cherries and special green beans that appear in spring and summer to the mushroom madness of autumn when the coveted funghi porcini, ovoli, morels and a precious supply of truffles may be plucked from the age-old woods that never fail to produce.

From medieval times Tuscan cuisine, like Etruscan cuisine before it, is tied to the agriculture of the area—the olive tree, the vineyard, vegetables, even the massive steer grazing in the lush valley.  Each is in perfect harmony with the land that produces them.  And like most areas of the world, regional specialties abound and are dictated by the availability and abundance of various foods, history and culture.  Pisa, for example, is famous for black cabbage soup and a dish made with cieche (newborn eels.) They also make torta coi bischeri, a pastry filled with rice, candied fruit, chocolate, raisins, pine nuts, nutmeg, and liquor, made for the Feast of Pontasserchio.

Arezzo is famous for acquacotta (meaning “cooked in water”) with fried onions, tomatoes, egg, and cheese. Stuffed pheasants with cream and truffles and sautéed chicken giblets are also traditional foods.  Siena favors cooking with spices and makes such dishes as panpepato (spiced bread), sausage, and filled pastries.

Driving across Toscana, olive trees can be seen growing everywhere, from the flat, dry plains to the sides of rocky hills.  Though olive trees abound, Toscana produces only about 4 percent of It's olive oil.  But Tuscan olive trees often live hundreds, if not thousands, of years, making a small supply of olives available for the loving process of hand-picking early to produce an intensely-flavored and truly special oil that is drizzled over and used with almost every dish—as a salad dressing, poured over bread, in soups and stews and even in desserts!

No food is wasted.  Everything edible is savored, honored and celebrated -- herbs growing wild across the Tuscan hills are used in every recipe -- rosemary, sage, basil and fennel being particular favorites.  Cheeses made from the pungent taste of sh's milk – pecorino and ricotta - lends saltiness and pungency to pastas, savory pies and salads; grains like the ancient farro (emmer wheat) used by the Etruscans, add flavor, bulk and nutrition to Tuscan’s hearty soups.

Self-proclaimed lovers of rice, Tuscans cook risotto – a dish that requires painstaking attention -- as a main meal or delicate side dish, tossing the cooked rice with almost any ingredient available from chicken giblets to squab.  It wouldn’t be unusual for cooks to throw a handful of rice into their delicious vegetable soups.  Ravioli and tortelli, the reg's classic stuffed pastas, are filled with ricotta or potatoes and pancetta, then dressed with butter and sage, tomato sauce, or a meat ragù.   Cacciucco, a specialty of Toscana’s second largest city, Livorno, and a major fishing port, is a soul-satisfying soup made by Tuscan cooks for hundreds of years.  A mixture of at least five different fish – they say one for each “c” in its name, – cacciucco adheres to the Tuscan tradition of never wasting edible food, pureeing even the heads and bones of the fish and dropping them into the bubbling broth.

And Tuscans love their meat dishes.  Almost everywhere in Toscana, meat is grilled over open fires, preferably over vine embers and chestnut.  Tuscans call the steaks bistecchi, with the rest of Italy calling them fiorentine, but by whichever name it is called, beef from the huge, white, long-horned Chianina that grazes in the Chiani Valley is the pride of local butchers and the favorite of Tuscan cooks.  Bistecca Fiorentina, a perfectly cooked T-bone steak often served with a splash of olive oil, or thinly sliced and topped with peppery arugula lettuce, is said to be the legacy of English noblemen who wintered in Fiesole and San Miniato for hundreds of years, demanding to be fed T-bone steaks from the long-horned Chiani Valley cattle.  Bistecca Fiorentina grilled flat over an open fire and usually served rare, is a tradition that may go back to the Etruscans. Paintings from as far back as the 8th century BC show this practice.

Chicken is split, spiced, and broiled, sausages are skewered before broiling, and from the wild boar that roams the Tuscan woods – comes the meat that is often the basis of succulent, rich stews that Tuscans call ragu.  Soul food to the Tuscans, every family and chef has a favorite ragu – some with a mix of veal and beef, others with mostly pork, or a nutty hint of chestnuts.  Whatever the combination, each cook proudly proclaiming theirs the best – ever ready to supply a tasting to prove it.

Nicknamed “mangiafagiole” (bean eaters), beans are a staple of the Tuscan table.  Grown throughout Toscana, white cannellini – often used in soups or served with olive oil or tomatoes and sage, are the ones most closely associated with the region.  Fava beans, eaten raw or lightly steamed, are a particular favorite served with pecorino cheese.  Sorano beans, named after the village where they grow, are usually eaten al fiasco – boiled with olive oil, herbs and salt.  The pale yellow zolfino beans, grown only in the Val d’Arno, were almost extinct a decade ago until farmers began to cultivate them again.  The traditional preparation method of cooking--in a flask with olive oil and garlic, over a dying fire overnight until they reach a creamy consistency—is time consuming, but worth the flavor.

Vegetables are eaten raw or steamed, drizzled with olive oil and a little garlic—the simplest procedure that preserves and enhances the true taste.  Tuscan favorites like radicchio, fennel, asparagus and any vegetable available might be eaten as a side dish -- contorni, mixed into a salad, cooked with eggs, eaten with cheese, or even as a meal by themselves with slices of fresh, crusty bread.  Tuscan cooks also prepare vegetables saltare — a method that gently steams, drains and then briefly sautés the vegetables in olive oil, chile pepper and garlic.

Bread is the quintessential daily food!  More than pasta, polenta or rice, bread is a mainstay of daily living.  Traditionally, Tuscan bread is salt-free – sciocco – an inheritance from a time when salt was heavily taxed, and remains the preference today.  The scent of fresh-baked bread escapes the doorways of proud bakers all over Toscana, as they stoke up the chestnut-wood-burning oven in the early morning hours to make the traditional large Tuscan flat loaf that can weigh over two pounds!  Tuscan bread, because it lacks the moisture-attraction of salt, can hold and be used in a variety of ways for days.  It’s a perfect accompaniment to the salty prosciutto and pecorino cheeses, sliced fresh or lightly toasted and placed in a bowl of steaming hot soup, as a simple midday snack drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, and as basis of crostini, small rounds of stale bread that are grilled and topped with everything from a creamy liver and caper mix, to a simple tomato, basil, and garlic topping.  It is also the basis for one of Toscana’s most unusual and delicious culinary experiences, panzanella, bread salad made with stale bread.

Pasta became a part of Toscana’s culinary fare only a few centuries ago.  In Toscana, where bread has always been the starch of choice, pasta made its entry in the form of some type of fresh pasta, very often stuffed with savory foods like ricotta cheese, vegetable blends, even mashed potatoes flavored with a bit of meat or sauce.  Pappardelle, wide flat noodles, often topped with a meat or tomato-based sauce, and Pici, a hand rolled, worm-shaped, small pasta made of flour and water might be found often on the menu along with Tortelli – called ravioli in the rest of Italy. Another famous starch, gnocchi, made by shaping small amounts of mashed potatoes flavored with savory herbs and garlic into short ovals and then cooking like pasta, is truly an example of cucina provera turned elegant.  Among the oldest foods in Italy, this dish is inexpensive to make, delicious to eat drizzled with a bit of butter, a grate of fresh cheese, a light tomato sauce, and appetite satisfying.  Gnocchi made with spinach and ricotta, an equally delicious version, are the specialty of an area east of Florence where greens grow abundantly wild.

Dessert may be more impressive on celebratory days when elaborate sweets like zuccotto, zuppa inglese or castagnaccio, a traditional Florentine cake made with fresh chestnut flour are served, but there are classics that are as elegant in their simplicity and no less sophisticated.  From the dome-shaped zuccotto to the heavily fruited panforte, baked since the days of the Etruscans, Tuscans have been savoring the easily obtainable and lavish array of fresh fruits, sun-ripe figs, sweet grapes and berries– available for the picking – and again, as is their instinct, using what nature provides.

Sweet pastry tarts, filled with fresh fruits in season, are irresistible any time of day.  A favorite dessert, Tuscans eat them for breakfast and snacks during the day.  But desserts can be even simpler and still satisfy a craving for something sweet -- gently broiled fresh figs, drizzled with honey served with an assortment of roasted chestnuts, toasted almonds in winter, fresh berries laced with Vin Santo in summer.  Biscotti  – cookies made of a myriad of nuts and flavorings from almond to lemon to pistachio, amaretti or ricciarelli, cookies made of crushed almonds, with a glass of Vin Santo -- Italy’s most loved sweet wine -- or a strong espresso, are simple, elegant desserts even the most humble cook can make.

Tuscan cuisine goes back thousands of years, and today sets a standard other areas of Italy strive to meet. The people of Toscana are food romantics -- they fall in love each season with the foods given to them in their rich, abundant regions – they love the wines from the grapes growing on the hillsides, the fresh-pressed olive oil, made from the olives they lovingly hand-pick, the crusty flat breads made by hand each morning, the vegetables and greens that grow from the loving care they give their gardens.  A love of good food & fine people to share their bounty with…..it’s the Tuscan way!

Wine (Vino)

There isn’t a time in the history of Toscana that does not celebrate the wild vines of grapes growing abundantly all over the regions sun-drenched hills.  It is said that the Etruscans domesticated and bred the forbearers of such grapes as the Sangiovese and the Lambrusco from those early grapes – the humble beginnings of what was to bring worldwide glory and recognition to the wild grapes of Toscana.

Mentioned in the writings of Dante and Boccaccio – famed writers in Firenze at the end of the medieval era -- included in early paintings and as decoration on the ceramics created by the Etruscans, the Tuscans have always had a love affair with the grape and the wines they are made into -- with good reason.  The hilly soil and the weather conditions of Toscana are ideal for grape growing, providing a natural and immediate environment for local families to experiment in the production of interesting flavors, better procedures and rare, proprietary varieties.  And because Tuscan vineyards are usually family-owned, the making of wine from these estates that pass from generation to generation doesn’t stop.  Through time, younger generations would continue to improve on and create new brands, blends and specialty tastes.

Toscana’s major red grape variety and the backbone of the region’s production, the Sangiovese, is synonymous with the fine wines of Tuscany.  It is the sole grape permitted for Brunello di Montalcino and provides the base for the popular Chianti, Montepulciano, and most of the “Super Tuscans,” a new breed of Tuscan red wines created by the house of Antinori that uses a more international style in production and French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Adding to the popularity of wine from the Sangiovese grape is its perfect flavor accompaniment to the full-flavored foods of the region. 

By far the most important wines produced from this region are the easy drinking Chianti and Chianti Classico wines. Covering a large geographic area, Chianti lies in central Toscana, in the hilly country between Firenze and Sienna, with Chianti Classico coming only exclusively from the very center of this zone, with every bottle proudly bearing the growers label of a black cockerel on a gold background.

While some wines have become more renowned, it is hard to have a bad wine from Toscana.  Other important Tuscan wines are Montalcino, Montepulciano, Bolgheri and Carmignano and Maremma wines that today are produced across the region and exported on a massive scale.  Part of the enjoyment of wine is tasting to discover a personal favorite.

Not far from Florence, in the Tuscan hills, is Montepulciano – home to Vino Nobile, a wine whose “nobile” status likely came centuries ago during the Renaissance in homage to its status among the nobility.  The poet Francesco Redi, described Montepulci's red as “king of all wines”, which it truly was until haphazard production techniques led to a brief decline in the 1960’s and 70’s.  But by 1980, Vino Nobile made an impressive comeback, gaining the status of DOCG and once again is living up to its name and high standard.  Similar to Chianti in composition, Vino Nobile takes its place among the finest reserves. The DOC Rosso di Montepulciano is a younger alternative.

For many years the proclaimed king of Tuscan wine was Brunello di Montalcino, a wine from a fortress town south of Siena, produced from a strain of the Sangiovese grape called Sangiovese Grosso.  Known for its uncommon flavor and structure and remarkable aging potential, it was among the first wines to receive the coveted DOCG status with its reds of legendary power and the longevity that could command lofty prices. Conceived by the Biondi Santi family a century ago, Brunello is now produced under various labels, representing small farms, established estates and even international corporations. Brunello production averages less than 2 million bottles a year, but producers also make the DOCs of Rosso di Montalcino (a younger wine from Brunello vines) and sweet white Moscadello di Montalcino (from Moscato).

But for all raves over the red wines of Toscana, white wines from this region are gaining popularity and some have gained distinction.  Fine white wines made from Trebbiano grape produce light, very drinkable white wines that go well with fish and vegetable dishes and are a pleasant apertif.  Cultivated largely for its high productivity and its acid-conserving properties in hot areas, its neutral qualities mean that it is most often reserved for bulk wine, or used as a neutral base for other grapes, such as Malvasia del Chianti.  For white wines, the key production area is San Gimignano.  The most notable without doubt is the Vernaccia di San Gimignano, mentioned in Dante’s Divine Comedy.  Other delicious whites include the Bianc'Elba, from the Elba Island, Bianco di Bolgheri, Vermentino, Bianco di Pitigliano and Bianco di Val di Nievole. (Bianco in Italian means, “white.”)

And then there’s the “holy wine” – Vin Santo – the wine once said to be reserved for Holy Communion and not made until the start of Holy Week, is served traditionally in Tuscan households as a gesture of hospitality.  Made from Trebbiano grapes, the making of this wine follows a centuries old process of air-drying the grapes and then aging the wine three to four years in small barrels that allow for oxidations.  The result is a wine of fabulous amber color, sweet, rich and delicious served with desserts, as an aperitif, with biscotti for dunking and even in the morning – if guests happen by.  It is even used to lace an unremarkable dessert with exotic flavor.  Available from the very, very sweet to dry and with some rose versions, Tuscan growers each have their favorite version of Vin Sante.

Records show that by the fourteenth century, nearly five million gallons of wine were consumed each year in Florence. The number of gallons of Tuscan wines consumed worldwide today is staggering.  Toscana accounts for over thirty DOC and half a dozen of DOCG world class wines. There is no doubt that Toscana has recognized the market potential and economic value of sharing the wine, but the region’s increased production and creativity is undoubtedly driven more by the ingrained spirit and passion of generations of families to create the quintessential wine that drives the sun-drenched grapes of Toscana to be the wine placed on the table.

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