Understanding Tuscan Food
A Small Guide to Figuring Out What’s on the Menu
Aperitivo
The experience of the aperitivo is a consolidated Italian tradition! An aperitivo is a pre-dinner
drink, meant to “open” the palate and gives you a chance to socialize, relax, and nibble as dinner
time approaches.
A good rule of thumb for evening aperitivo is from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. What is offered with
your aperitivo drink really depends on the bar. A few olives and potato chips are the classic
offering, though some places get very elaborate with fresh pizza, fruit salads, roast, hot pasta,
and cold cuts like prosciutto and bresaola.
Aperitivo Drinks
Prosecco If you like sweet or sparkling wines, aperitivo is the time to drink them dry, lemony, and bubbling, Prosecco is Italy's answer to a refreshing, well-made, sparkling wine. Created from predominately Prosecco grapes in the northern Veneto region of Italy in the foothills of the Alps, Prosecco is light, affordable, and fun.
Negroni was invented in Florence in 1919, at Caffè Casoni, now called Caffè Giacosa and is a must try while visiting in Florence! The cocktail is made of one part gin, one part sweet vermouth, and one part Campari. In 1919 Count Camillo Negroni invented it by asking the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda water), by substituting the soda water for gin. The bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a different drink, and so the tradition was born!
Bellini is a combination of sweet prosecco and peach juice.
Spritz Cocktail is a combination of Aperol, prosecco, and sparkling water (aqua frizzante). Spritz are very tasty and refreshing, especially after a long day enjoying the warm Tuscan sun.
Wine is always an acceptable aperitivo drink and sometimes much cheaper than a cocktail.
Breads
Schiacciata is what the Florentines call Focaccia. Schiacciata is a flat oven baked bread that is usually seasoned with olive oil, salt, and herbs.
Pane Toscano is a traditional salt-free Tuscan bread that is as simple as bread can be. The saltless bread of Tuscany is not necessarily a focal point of the meal, but rather a clever backdrop to the intense flavors of the local salty olives, cured meats, sharp cheeses, and rich flavorful sauces or a vehicle for sopping up the regional savory stews.
Cheeses (Formaggio)
Pecorino is the name for all cheeses made from sheep’s milk. The word derives from the Italian word “pecora” meaning sheep. Pecorino is usually hard and salty.
Mozzarella di Bufala was first made in Italy near Naples from the rich milk of water buffalos.
Gorgonzola A pasteurized cow's milk cheese, ivory in color with blue-green veins running through it. Pungent but very tasty!
Mascarpone is a triple-creme cheese made from a generally low-fat (25%) fresh cream. It's made from the milk of cows that have been fed special grasses filled with fresh herbs and flowers. The cow’s special diet creates a unique taste often described as "fresh and delicious."
Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan, is a hard granular cheese, most commonly used topped over pasta. Parmigiano Reggiano is named after the producing areas near Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Bologna.
Ricotta is a fresh, soft, snowy white cheese with a rich but mild, slightly sweet flavor. The texture is much like a grainy, thick sour cream.
Tartufo
Tartufo is Italian for truffle and in the world of gourmet food this rare edible mushroom
is considered a delicacy and treasure that is literally and figuratively worth its weight in gold.
These delicious funghi are harvested from late summer to early spring by experienced gatherers
known as trifolau. The trifolau are aided by the strong noses of trained pigs or dogs (only
mutts or mixed breed dogs are used since it is said pedigree dogs cannot smell truffles) to
find these small treasures which are usually found buried a foot underground.
In Italy, truffles can typically be used to flavor risotto, pastas like tagliatelle, omelets, meats, and sauces.
There are at least eight different types of truffles found in Italy. The most valuable of the truffles
is the white truffle that grows in central and northern Italy. The record for the most expensive white
truffle, hailing from Tuscany, was sold in 2007 for $330,000 and weighed an astonishing 3.3 lbs.
The most common of them is the black or gray truffle which can be found in common everyday Italian dishes.
The most famous place in Florence to try this gourmet treat is at Procacci on Via Tornabuoni.
Here you can indulge in this delicacy by trying one of their tiny tea sized panini tartufati
(truffle sandwiches) filled with a delicious crema di tartufo (truffle paste). Tradition
has it that the tiny truffle sandwiches are eaten alongside an ice-cold glass of tomato juice,
but I recommend trying it with a glass of cold prosecco or white wine.
Salumi e Affettati
Salumi is the collective name given to anything preserved and cured in salt, and particularly refers to cured meats such as salame. Affettati are more of your cold cuts such as prosciutto. Salumi and Affettati are found on almost every menu in Tuscany and play a large part in the every day Florentine diet. They appear in sandwiches, pizza, are served at aperitivo buffets and are served as appetizer (antipasto) called Affetati Misti. A salumeria is a deli specializing in these meats.
Here are a few of the most common Salumi and Affettati:Finocchiona is named after its most important ingredient fennel seeds (finocchio) that are used to flavor the meat. Finocchiona is usually eaten relatively fresh compared to some of the other aged salumi.
Salame in Tuscany are made with spiced salted pork and cubes of pork fat that are forced into a large casing and aged for several months. Salame is a firm sausage and is much drier and darker colored than fresher Salumi.
Cacciatore Salame is a smaller full-bodied salame meaning “hunters salame”. It is made from pork and beef with pancetta. Seasoned with black pepper, spices, garlic, and dry white wine, it is dried over charcoal, then aged.
Salamino is a smaller salame by diameter size.
Salame Piccante is the spicy sausage often called "pepperoni" outside of Italy (note that if you ask for pepperoni in Italy you will be given bell peppers!). Salame Piccante takes on more of an orange hue dies from the spicy peppers used to make it.
Prosciutto is probably the most well known of the preserved meats or Affetati. It is a salt-cured, slowly dried leg of ham. Prosciutto is available dolce (sweet) or salato (salty).
Mortadella or better known in the United States as bologna is a firm, pink Italian sausage made of finely ground heat-cured pork sausage.
Pancetta is a type of cured meat, similar to bacon made from pork belly. Pancetta is very versatile and is widely used in Italian cuisine. Pancetta can be bought in fine slices, large slabs, or packaged in small cubes (cubbetti). Pancetta is available dolce (sweet), affumicata (smoked), and cotto (cooked).
Speck originates from the Alto Adige region where it is still a home made process. The meat is seasoned with salt and spices including pepper, laurel, and juniper berries. The Speck is then smoked using flavorful beechwood, ash or juniper.
Bresaola is a cured beef fillet. It is commonly eaten with rucola (rocket or arugula) and shavings of Parmesan cheese.
Lardo di Colonnata is an exquisite delicacy little known outside Italy, and is something
worth trying while you are in Tuscany. This Tuscan treat gets its name from the small village
of Colonnata, where it was conceived. Colonnata is located just inland in the area of Carrara.
Carrara is renowned for their marble that has been quarried their for centuries. Michelangelo,
was a frequent visitor of Carrara and some of his most historic sculptures were made from the
marble of this region. Lardo di Colonnata is made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary,
garlic, fresh sea salt, and other herbs and spices in basins made of this local marble. After
the curing process it becomes delicately flavored with the herbs and spices and so tender that
when sliced thinly it will melt on warm bread. Lardo di Colonnata is usually served as an antipasto
(appetizer).
Crostini are small pieces of toast topped with an array of different toppings. In Tuscany one of the most common is Crostini di Fegato, which is a chicken liver pate. Some other common toppings of crostini are bruschetta, olive paste, mushrooms, or affettati.
Pasta
The word “pasta” in Italian can refer to different kinds of food made from dough, so it
includes not only what we know as pasta but also pastries. A pasta in a bar is the general
term for one of the fresh baked sweet pastries usually eaten at breakfast with a cappuccino.
A dish of pasta is referred to on the menu as a "primo piatto" or “first course” along with
rice dishes and soups. The Italians DO NOT USE SPOONS while eating pasta.
Types of Pasta
Pici, often known also as Pici Senesi, are thick spaghetti originally from southern Tuscany around Siena (hence the name), rolled out between the fingers instead of in a machine.
Pappardelle are wide ribbons of pasta from Tuscany and usually eaten with rich game sauces such as wild boar (cinghiale) or hare (lepre).
Tagliatelle has a very distintinctive shape of long flat ribbons, but is thinner than papparedelle.
Linguine is flat but narrow like spaghetti.
Gnocchi are thick soft pasta dumplings. That may have received their name from the Italian word nocchio, meaning a knot in wood, or from nocca meaning knuckle.
Campanelle is a creative looking type of pasta that resembles a church bell with fluted edges.
Cannelloni are rectangular pieces of flat pasta dough that are rolled into large tube shapes and filled with spinach and or ricotta.
Farfalle meaning “butterfly” in Italian are fun bowtie shaped pasta.
Ravioli is stuffed pasta usually in a square shape.
Tortellini are ring-shaped pasta. They are typically stuffed with a mix of meat (pork loin, prosciutto) or cheese.
Bucatini is a thick spaghetti-like pasta that resembles a drinking straw since it has a small hole that runs through the center.
Traditional Pasta Sauces
Amatriciana made with guanciale or pancetta, tomatoes and dried chile peppers.
Arrabbiata is a spicy sauce made of garlic, tomatoes, and red chili peppers cooked in olive oil.
Carbonara is a pasta sauce made with pancetta, black pepper and eggs.
Carrettiera is a typical Sicilian sauce made with garlic, tomatoes, tuna, pepper and pecorino.
Pesto is a sauce made from pine nuts, basil, garlic, olive oil, and pecorino originating in Genoa.
Puttanesca is a very spicy and strong flavored sauce made with olives, bits of dried chili peppers, capers and anchovies as key ingredient.
Ragu alla Bolognese is a meat-based sauce.
Other First Course Dishes
Pappa al Pomodoro is a very traditional Florentine plate. Its stew-like texture includes simple ingredients: tomatoes, leftover bread, oil, garlic and salt.
Ribollita is a hearty soup deriving from humble origins. There are many variations but the main ingredients always include leftover bread, cannellini beans, carrot, cabbage, beans, and onions.
Panzanella is a very simple, moist and fresh bread salad. It is a great summer recipe because you don’t have to turn on the oven – no cooking is required. It is full of fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil.
Fagioli all'uccelletto is one of the most classic Tuscan dishes. The dish is compiled of beans in a light tomato sauce, accompanied with braised meats. It is most commonly served in the winter months. Filling, but very tasty.
Tuscan Meat
Bistecca alla Fiorentina is the crown jewel of the carnivorous Florentine menu. This T-bone steak traditionally comes from the prized white Tuscan Chianina cattle which are known for their particular tenderness and flavor.
The Bistecca is always cut thick, and always served rare. Due to their enormous size the Bistecca Fiorentina is usually shared between two or more people.
In restaurants the Bistecca Fiorentina is usually sold by weight. Prices are given in either the kilo (2.2lbs) or etto (hundred grams).
If you like your meat cooked well-done, but still want to indulge in a savory piece of steak I would recommend ordering a filet or filetto in Italian, they are smaller in size and easier to cook through.
Cinghiale or wild boar, is a staple of the Tuscan cuisine and their presence can be found in almost every course of the Tuscan menu. Cinghiale is most commonly found as antipasti (appetizers) in the form of prosciutto and other salumi (cold cuts). In primi (first course plates) The most notorious pasta dish being Pappardelle al Cinghiale which is a dish of wide ribbon pasta called pappardelle with a meat ragu sauce made with wild boar meat. For main course or secondo, A rich stew called spezzatino is made with pieces of boar in a red wine sauce.
Cinghiale can grow to be as large as 400 pounds and can easily be found foraging throughout the Tuscan countryside.
From the beginning of November until the end of January hunting season is on both to control their numbers and to provide a fantastic meal for the table.
Tripe or Trippa in Italian is the lining of the 4 parts of a cow's stomach, and is a true staple of the Florentine cuisine! It is simmered for hours and becomes tender, delicate and surprisingly very tasty.
You can find Trippa all over the city. By restaurant you will find it on the menu as Trippa alla Fiorentina, strips of tripe are simmered for hours in a light tomato sauce along with garlic and herbs. When then dish is served it is usually accompanied with grated Parmesan cheese and a good piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. In the summer months tripe salad is available and is usually eaten cold with olive oil garlic and parsley.
Lampredotto is tripe from only one part of the cow’s stomach, and can be found at any one of the many street stalls dotted around the city. These stalls sell Lampredotto by form of Lampredotto Panino, tripe sandwich, where the simmered tripe is served on a bread roll softened with the savory cooking liquid and a dash of salsa verde (parsley and garlic paste) or salsa piccante (olive oil and chili). The most famous is Da Nerbone located in Mercato Centrale.
Angnello or lamb is not a very popular meat in Tuscany, but you can still find it on trattoria menus here and there. Sheep in Tuscany are mainly farmed for the production of pecorino cheese. When lamb does appear on a menu, it is usually prepared as grilled chops, or a slow cooked stew. Lamb is more of a seasonal dish, and is usually found in the springtime. Most Italians eat lamb as their main course for Easter dinner.
Carpaccio is a dish of finely sliced raw meat or fish (such as beef, veal, venison, salmon or tuna) generally thinly sliced or pounded thin and served as an appetizer or for a light lunch.
Pollo alla Fiorentina is a traditional Florentine plate that screams comfort food! It is your basic fried chicken. Don’t forget to also try the Fritto Misto plate, which includes an array of wonderfully fried and crispy morsels. The menu will always explain the selection but some of the variants include seafood, vegetables, and meats.
Dolci
Schiacciata alla Fiorentina is a typical seasonal Florentine dessert that is usually served around Carnivale (a festive season right before Lent). Schiacciata alla Fiorentina is a orange flavored yellow sponge cake that can be found filled with sweet chantilly cream or without. Schiacciata alla Fiorentina is usually pretty easy to distinguish between the other delectable pastries since it is usually dusted with powdered sugar and traditionally adorned with the giglio, the symbol of Florence in cacao.
Cenci are narrow strips of deep fried pastry dough that are loosely folded, wrapped, or knotted together. This special treat is dusted with powdered sugar and served while they are still a little warm. Like the Schiacciata alla Fiorentina this pastry is usually only found around Carnivale.
Quaresimali are typical Florentine chocolate flavored cookies that are shaped in the form of letters of the alphabet. These cookies only make a guest appearance once a year around Easter time. These cookies are best when bought from a pasticceria.
Cantucci with Vin Santo is the most widely offered dessert in Florence. Cantucci are Almond biscuits or cookies, which are dipped into a glass of sweet wine called Vin Santo.
Vin Santo is a Tuscan dessert wine which literally means “holy wine”. It’s name could be derived from its popular use during the Renaissance period, or perhaps as a reference to its heavenly taste. Vin Santo is made by drying the harvested grapes on straw mats to draw out the sweetness of the fruit and fermented later in oak barrels, this amber-colored wine is still often a homemade favorite and traditionally served after a meal as a digestive.
Schiacciata con l'Uva is a seasonal dessert that appears in the late summer and early autumn. It is a sweetened flat bread made with ripe red grapes and definitely worth trying!
Panforte is a very rich and dense fruit cake usually made with candied fruits, nuts, and flavored with honey, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. It is usually a round cake, pretty flat only about a half of an inch tall and served in tiny wedges. Panforte is traditionally from Siena, but is still found around Florence.
Gelato or Italian ice cream is world renowned for its flavor and quality. You are able to order your gelato in a cone (cono) or cup (coppa) and can always choose more than one flavor.
Sorbetto or sorbet in English is wonderfully light and fresh, and very refreshing on those hot summer days. Sorbetto is most commonly made from fresh fruit flavors.
Semi-Freddo is a cross between a mousse and an ice cream.
Caffè
Caffè Espresso is a shot of espresso, a very strong coffee served in a tiny cup (tazza) topped with a caramel-colored foam called "crema"or jou can order a straight coffee (un caffe) any time of night or day.
Caffè Doppio is two shots of espresso, it is the “doppio” or double of what you would usually get if you ordered a coffee in a bar.
Cappuccino is a shot of espresso usually served in a slightly larger cup with steamed milk and foam. The cappuccino is considered a morning drink and Italians stray away from cappuccinos (capuccini) after about 11:00am.
Caffè Latte is an espresso served with more hot milk than you would find in a cappuccino and usually served without foam. If you order a caffè latte in a bar it is usually served in a glass or “vetro” as opposed to the small white ceramic cups. The caffè latte along with the cappuccino are morning drinks.
Caffè Macchiato is coffee served with just a bit of foam on top of the espresso. Macchiato means “stained” in Italian, so it is literally an espresso stained with milk.
Caffè Corretto literally translated means “corrected coffee” and is a shot of espresso served with a drizzle of liquor. You can order this drink anytime throughout the day, but is usually served after dinner.
Marocchino is a cappuccino served with cacao powder sifted on top of the foam.
Caffè Moka is the name for the coffee that you make at home by using a Moka or caffettiera which is a steel coffee maker that is put on a stove and makes coffee by boiling water to force steam through the grounds.
