Tuscany food has always been considered as 'cucina povera' or 'cuisine of the poor' closely interconnected with peasant traditions. The poor roots of this cuisine though caused by the poverty of the people of this region in the past, today has become the land of superb food and wine.
If you ask me to give few attributes to cucina Toscana than two will be the best to describe it, simplicity and ingenuity. As many other regional cuisines, the Tuscan was and continues to be attached to rural traditions using a range of excellent natural ingredients.
It's not a secret that other Italians still call Tuscans 'mangiafagioli' (bean eaters) - an unjust label, but refer to the region's simple ingredients. Not all the food in Tuscany has humble roots.
Florentines will tell you proudly that they invented many of the great dishes of French cuisine. Of course this is attributed to Medici family, more precisely to Catherine de' Medici after her marriage (1534) to Henry de Valois, the future king Henri II of France. As an excellent connoisseur of Florence food she had transferred some typical Florence dishes at the France court.
Thanks to Catherine some Florentine dishes were assimilated by France court such as 'papero alla melarancio' (duck in orange sauce) which became 'canard à l'orange' or 'zuppa di cipolle' (onion soup), in France become 'soupe d'oignons'. Beside these dishes Catherine also introduced to French court how to use two essentials of the modern table - the fork and the napkin.
Today's Tuscan food contains plenty of sophisticated dishes that wouldn't dishonor to tables of restaurants in London, Paris or New York. Most of this food is seasonal and locally produced, and it only appears at the time of the year it is grown.
Tuscany is a gastronomic delight for the eyes and for the palate. Everywhere you walk you can breathe the air of the traditional Tuscan cuisine, with fresh meats and cheeses, seasonal vegetables, superb olive oil and world famous wine, all grown in the immediate vicinity of the cities and over Tuscan hills.
To give you an idea of Tuscan food delights, we can start from breakfast that consists of simply coffee and croissant (brioche). The lunch and dinner begin with starters or antipasti like bruschetta or Florence crostini (slice of toasted Tuscan salt less bread) topped with olive paste, chicken liver pate and a variety of hams, cheese and salamis.
As the first course in Tuscany, pasta is less used than in other parts of Italy, instead soups are more popular as minestrone (vegetable soups), zuppa di fagioli (beans soup) or famous ribollita (reboiled) white beans and cabbage soup, papa al pomodoro (bread and tomatoes soup).
Among classic pasta meals we must mention 'pappardelle alla lepre' based on homemade pasta with a hare sauce. The game meat has very important role in Tuscan cuisine, particularly wild boar and hare. This list wouldn't be complete without uncontested king of Florentine main courses, 'bistesecca alla florentina ' (T-bone steak).
Tuscans tend to eat more salads and vegetables than other Italians particularly beans with olive oil and garlic. Vegetables are served raw or steamed. Meat is grilled simply over fire. The bread has the important role in this "peasant cooking" as made without salt it doesn't stay fresh as long, so Tuscan breads are often only good the day of baking.
One of the rules was not to waste food, in this case the bread of the previous day was used again in some typical soups prepared by combining the bread with olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar and vegetables like tomatoes, basil, onion.
The fact is that the Tuscan cooking is a simple one. There are no heavy or fancy sauces, no complicated recipes or intense seasoning. Simplicity is the synonym for Florence food cuisine. Florentines enjoy eating their regional cuisine in friendly, warm, informal settings.
To enjoy full flavor of Tuscan and Florence food just follow our advice how and where to find plenty of authentic and traditional restaurants or trattories with affordable prices where you can eat well for 10 euro or less.
A word of advice: try to taste Tuscany food dishes where only locals go to find the best food in the city.
Our website about Florence Italy http://www.easyflorence.com/ is an easy travel guide to help you find comprehensive information on this beautiful city that epitomizes the artistic and architectural splendor of the Renaissance more than any other. Find all information what to see and do, where to stay and eat.
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