Eat your way around Tuscany: Authentic food in Tuscany

Discover the finest authentic food in Tuscany –  guide to eating your way around Tuscany.

Needless to say, the food in Tuscany is yet another reason why this region is so popular with our Bookings For You guests. And while Tuscany’s real fame is probably for its wine, believe us when we tell you that the food is equally as good. Think long lunches, lazing under the Tuscan sun – fresh fish, home grown vegetables and local meats and cheeses are always on the menu. However, within this magical region of rolling vineyards and ancient hilltop towns, there are also sub-regions or localities, each with their own unique gastronomic traditions. And these hidden gems are filled to  bursting with delicious Tuscan flavours. 

Like all of Italy, food in Tuscany is at the heart of every community and forms the foundations of all that is special about each and every locality in the region. At Bookings For You we are very lucky to make regular trips to Tuscany so we can hand-pick our stunning villas and apartments. In turn, we can fairly say that we have spent several years eating our way around the region! From the foodie meccas of Lucca and Florence to more hidden villages in the Lunigiana hills – we always pack our appetites and embrace locally sourced Tuscan food.

With this in mind, we have decided to share some of these delicious delicacies you. This way you too can enjoy a journey of flavours in Tuscany. And use it as inspiration for the taste buds for your next holiday in Tuscany. For this post, we have focussed on some of the less well known areas where you can discover some truly authentic traditional Tuscan fayre. 

Discovering authentic food in Tuscany: Lunigiana

Starting in the very north eastern corner, Lunigiana is certainly less visited than the big hitting cities of Florence, Pisa and Siena. However, it is an essential stop on any food tour of Tuscany. The locality is home to many of the age-old traditional Tuscan foods and recipes which are in fact enjoyed right across the region. And with Emilia Romagna as its neighbour, this corner of Italy is possibly the most foodie of all. One thing is for sure, if you’re looking for truly authentic  food in Tuscany, Lunigiana should be on your list. 

Chestnut Flour

Until the second world war, Chestnut trees provided Lunigiana’s population with a vital food source. During this time, locals praised the trees and learned how to creatively use their nuts for all kinds of recipes. They even learned to use the tree’s leaves as baking paper. Today, the region still gleams green with huge forests of chestnut trees occupying the hillsides. Now affectionately known as the ‘bread tree’, chestnut flour has become one of the most iconic foods in Tuscany. 

After the harvest, which takes place annually from September to December, the nuts are dried in ‘gradili’. These are two storey buildings, unique to this area, where the lower floor is designated for a fire made exclusively from chestnut wood. Above, the chestnuts dry amongst the wafting aromas of smoke from the fire below. This process takes at least twenty-five days. Only when it’s complete are the chestnuts ‘beaten’ to remove their skins. Finally, they can be ground to create flour. 

Food in Tuscany: Chestnut Flour Specialities

Chestnut flour is a key ingredient in some really delicious local recipes and has a wonderfully sweet nutty flavour. Patona, also sometimes known as chestnut cake or pie, is a very simple recipe which involves mixing chestnut flour with water and then kneading to make a dough. This is then baked on the leaves from the tree, adding to the wonderful earthy flavours. Patona is always served piping hot from the oven.

Another local chestnut flour favourite is ‘bastard lasagne’. It follows a similar recipe to traditional lasagne, but of course with the addition of chestnut flour. This is a very typical first course in Lunigiana. More often the dough is rolled and cut into tagliatelle or lasagnette and is absolutely deliciously silky. Locals like to top it with olive oil and parmesan cheese or sometimes it’s served with sausage meat or mushrooms. 

Often mistaken as crepes or piadina, cian is another local staple made from chestnut flour. While the batter is made with similar ingredients to french crepes (although with chestnut flour), cian are cooked between to searingly hot cast iron pans. This is one of our favourite foods to enjoy while in Tuscany. They are delicious topped with honey and ricotta cheese. 

Finally a chestnut flour dessert. As one of the most iconic foods in Tuscany, many people don’t realise that catsagnaccio’s roots are in the rather under the radar locality of Lunigina. Often translated to ‘chestnut cake’, this is a simple cake batter made with chestnut flour and olive oil. The mixture is then ‘seasoned’ with nuts and dried fruit and of course the secret ingredient: rosemary oil. There is no doubt that castagnaccio is delicious and remains one of the most popular desserts in Tuscany. 

Discovering food in Tuscany: Mugello

Much like Lunigina, Mugello is a stunning undiscovered area in Tuscany. It still doesn’t feature on an average Tuscany itinerary. Luckily, here at Bookings for you, we love nothing more than to discover a hidden gem. And, our favourite way to do this is by tasting as many local dishes as possible. Italian culture is underpinned by the nation’s love of food. However, this is not just as simple as eating delicious food made with locally sourced ingredients. Food in Italy is central to families and communities, perhaps more so than anywhere else in the world.

The locality of Mugello is certainly no exception and we have enjoyed some of our most memorable dining experiences in this area. As always, locals are ever generous with their hospitality but are also keen to share their passion for their local specialities. Situated in the hills just north of Florence, Mugello is actually an easy add-on to most trips to Tuscany. And we think it’s also the perfect place to try some of the finest authentic food in Tuscany.

Cavalo Nero

While most visitors to Tuscany make their trip in the summer, we still love to visit in the autumn, when the rolling hills begin to glow with every shade of orange. And more importantly harvest season begins. As the intense heat of the summer wanes and the evenings begin to draw in, this is the perfect time to enjoy some of the region’s delicious soups.  Farinata di cavalo nero is a soup made with cavalo nero. This is a hearty Tuscan soup, which along with a wonderful blend of rosemary, sage and lemon thyme, features cannoli beans; a staple food in Tuscany. However, the main ingredient is cavalo nero. Now more widely available across Europe, this is a winter essential in any Tuscan kitchen. 

Traditionally, this kale-like vegetable wasn’t harvested until after the first frost but these days things are a little more flexible and you can enjoy it as soon as summer has passed. Also delicious and perhaps less well known is cavalo nero costoni. This is a typical snack or starter, whereby the steamed or boiled leaves are shredded and rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. This generously tops freshly toasted Tuscan bread – delicious!

Tortelli di Patate 

This dish features in almost every Tuscan cook book and is perhaps the most iconic food in Tuscany. For many of us the concept of combining pasta and potatoes in one dish is quite alien. However, like with so many of the recipes for food in Tuscany, it’s definitely another time to trust the experts! These delicious pasta parcels filled with potatoes are another iconic Tuscan dish whose roots are firmly in the locality of Mugello.

Exactly which ingredients accompany the pasta and potatoes varies from one kitchen to the next. Often the dough for the ravioli is infused with tomatoes and some families add meat to the potato filling. Even the size of each tortello is flexible with some cooks opting to make large parcels bursting with filling, while others prefer smaller bitesize pieces. Usually the pasta is served with a wild boar ragu or sometimes a mushroom sauce. Another popular option is a few shavings of truffle and a generous glug of olive oil. 

Sweet food in Tuscany 

With so many delicious first and second courses, it’s hard to imagine having room for dessert. However, again you’re going to have to trust us as the experts on food in Tuscany. Somehow we usually manage it. So here are a few of our favourite sweet treats to enjoy while on holiday in Tuscany.

Torta Ricciolina

One of our favourite things about this cake is its translation to ‘curly cake’. While you may find a torta ricciolina on the odd menu in Florence or Lucca, it is still very much rooted in its home in the small town of Abbadia San Salvatore. Situated on the Siena side of Mount Amiata, the original recipe dates back to the early 1900s. Chefs and cooks still follow almost the same recipe to create a crumbly shortcrust pastry casing. This is then filled with a combination of cream and dried fruit. Finally, the tart is topped with marbled chocolate meringue. It’s sweet, rich and seriously delicious. 

Amor

If you make it to Pontremoli in Lunigiani, it’s very unlikely that you’ll make it out without trying one of their most delicious sweet treats. Amors are a kind of wafer biscuit filled with a sumptuous sweet cream filling. The original recipe came to the region with a group of Swiss immigrants in the 1920s. Still today the exact recipe remains a secret. However, the contrast of the silky creamy filling with the crisp cognac infused wafer is to die for.

Copate

Finally to Siena for one of Tuscany’s finest sweet treats, which you will find right across the region – copate. These are a real favourite with our Bookings For You guests staying in our stunning villas in Tuscany. According to the history records, a group of nuns in Montecelso made the first batch of copate. Today, these iconic Tuscan sweet treats made with sugar, eggs, almond flour and honey have numerous variations and we love them all. If you’re lucky, you may even find even copate nere. These follow a similar recipe but the dough is enriched with cocoa for a chocolatey twist on these Tuscan favourites.

Where stay for authentic food in Tuscany

It’s always lovely to treat yourself to a meal in an excellent restaurant while on holiday. However, to find the very best authentic food in Tuscany, going to a food market yourself to experience the richness of colours and flavours is an unbeatable experience. This is why opting for a self-catering villa in Tuscany is the ultimate way to experience the truly authentic flavours of the region. Many of our luxury villas in Tuscany also have a concierge service and we work with some fabulously talented local chefs who can come to your villa and cook.  As the sun sets, to sit back and relax on your private terrace, drinking in the view of the magnificent Tuscan countryside is often far more enjoyable than jostling for a table at a busy restaurant.

Our team at Bookings For You is always on hand to help you find the prefect villa or apartment for you holiday in Italy. With decades of experience in planning dreamy Italian escapes we would even consider ourselves to be experts in the field. Discover our full collection of stunning villas in Tuscany here.