Food in Florence, Italy
Robin Thornley, Leaf Group
Florentine cuisine reflects the bounty of the Tuscan countryside (Photo: tuscany fields image by TEMISTOCLE LUCARELLI from Fotolia.com )
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Florence is a sophisticated city of art and fashion, the birthplace of the Renaissance, but Florentine culinary tastes reflect the countryside, the hills of Tuscany where simplicity and frugality rule. Tuscans have a symbiotic relationship with the land, eating locally, celebrating the seasons and avoiding waste. Dishes here have hearty, rustic flavors, well-matched to the area's famous wines, and Florentines enjoy eating their regional cuisine in friendly, warm, informal settings.
Catherine de' Medici is credited with introducing haute cuisine to France in 1533 when she became queen. She brought her cooks to Paris, together with spices and recipes that were commonplace at the Medici court in Florence. But as the Italian Trade Commission notes on its comprehensive culinary website, italianmade.com, Tuscan cuisine is not known for the rich Renaissance dishes favored by Queen Catherine but for its "noble simplicity." That is echoed in the restaurants favored by Florentines, small neighborhood trattorias where families and neighbors gather to celebrate the seasons with hearty, simple fare.
Much of the simplicity of Tuscan cuisine was born of necessity--not everyone was a Medici. Wild herbs and greens were used in simple soups. Every part of the animal was used--cibreo is a popular Florentine chicken stew that features cockscombs. Tuscan bread, a rustic sourdough baked in a wood-fired oven, traditionally was made without expensive salt. That meant it quickly went stale, and so ribollita was born, a vegetable soup thickened with bread. Panzanella is a summer salad made from stale bread cubes, fresh tomatoes, basil and Tuscany's famed olive oil. Wheat flour was another expensive ingredient and so Tuscans created dishes like castagnaccio, a cake made with chestnut flour, raisins, pine nuts, orange zest and olive oil.
Wild Bounty
The hills around Florence abound with game, including wild boar which is used in locally-made salamis and air-dried hams. Duck and hare appear on the table grilled, roasted or in a rich pasta sauce. Fish from the region's lakes and seafood from the coastal areas appear on menus. Porcini, wild mushrooms, are another favorite, served in the fall after foragers have combed the woods around the city.
In spring, fava beans are shelled and served fresh with pecorino cheese. In the fall, cavalo nero, a dark-leafed kale, is used in soups. Fettunta, slices of Tuscan bread, are lightly toasted, rubbed with fresh garlic and then drizzled with olive oil. Italians call the Tuscans "mangiafagioli," bean eaters, as Fodor's guide to the city notes--one typical dish slow cooks cannellini beans and fresh sage in a chianti flask.
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Bistecca all fiorentina, a large, thick T-bone steak from the region's famed Chianina cattle, is a classic Florentine dish. Grilled quickly over a hot, wood fire, it is served rare with a drizzle of Tuscan olive oil. Porchetta is a suckling pig, stuffed with garlic and herbs, and brushed with a rosemary branch while its roasts. Trippa all fiorentina, tripe cooked with wine, tomatoes and herbs, is another signature dish. One of the best places to enjoy the dish is the city's central market where it is called "lampredotto" and garnished with grated parmigiano cheese.
Fodor's Guide: Florence, Italy
Italian Made: Cuisine of Tuscany
About Florence: Florentine Cuisine
Times Online: Finest Food in Florence
Saveur: New Year's in Florence
Food and Wine: Timeless Florence
Robin Thornley has been a successful writer for more than 25 years, penning articles for national magazines, newspapers and websites. She specializes in a variety of topics, including business, politics, lifestyle trends, travel and cuisine. She also is the author of two guidebooks.
tuscany fields image by TEMISTOCLE LUCARELLI from Fotolia.com
Thornley, Robin. "Food in Florence, Italy." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/food-florence-italy-12278.html. Accessed 16 July 2019.
Thornley, Robin. (n.d.). Food in Florence, Italy. Travel Tips - USA Today. Retrieved from https://traveltips.usatoday.com/food-florence-italy-12278.html
Thornley, Robin. "Food in Florence, Italy" accessed July 16, 2019. https://traveltips.usatoday.com/food-florence-italy-12278.html
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