During your trip to Tuscany one of the most interesting things to do is discover its food and taste the many specialties it offers.
Each city offers different recipes and delicious local products and Florence is the queen of Tuscan cuisine.
Eating in Florence will be a delightful experience and will allow you to range from expensive dishes to cheaper and more genuine ones.
We begin our culinary journey by telling you about the peasant and poor origins of most of the foods that we find today in the many trattorias and osterias of the city.
Bread, seasonal vegetables and meat-based recipes are the main ingredients of Florentine dishes that delight both the locals and the many travelers who visit our city every year.
The bread in Tuscan cuisine is essential and above all it never be wasted. First of all, it must be explained that bread in Tuscany is without salt and this for historical reasons linked to the rivalry with the city of Pisa.
It is sold by many Florentine bakeries in rustic drafts and lasts several days. In addition to accompanying any daily meal, it is used to make the famous Tuscan crostini usually based on chicken livers patè or black cabbage or in summer as a base for the tasty bruschetta made with fresh tomatoes and excellent extra virgin olive oil.
When the bread is left and becomes stale it is never thrown away but is used to prepare delicious recipes that have always represented Florentine cuisine: La Pappa al pomodoro prepared with stale bread, cooked with tomato sauce, garlic, basil and extra virgin olive oil or Ribollita a very popular winter soup in Florence prepared with seasonal vegetables such as black cabbage Cannellini beans and other vegetables which, after being cooked, are boiled with stale bread. In summer, however, stale bread is used to prepare Panzanella, a salad rich in fresh tomatoes, onion, cucumbers, onion mixed with bread soaked and crumbled with vegetables: all Florentine specialties to try absolutely to feel part of the gastronomic culture Tuscany.
All these recipes are also suitable for vegetarians and all those who love to eat tasty and healthy seasonal vegetables.
Speaking of bread, we cannot fail to mention the delicious Schiacciata, a crunchy focaccia that is eaten in any way, plain or stuffed with the delicious Florentine cold cuts and pecorino cheese: it is the classic Tuscan snack that you find in the many Vinaini, small taverns that sell all these specialties accompanied by an excellent glass of wine.
Another important food in Florence is beef which is offered in many different recipes. First we must start from the Fiorentina steak, the most famous beefsteak in Italy. It is obtained from Chianina breed, white coat cows historically used as working animals. It is served strictly cooked rare and at least 5 fingers thick: it is recommended not to ask the cook to cook it more as it could really offend the most convinced Florentine soul.
A very funny curiosity is that the Italian name bistecca derives from the English language beefsteak as the Florentines began to call this meat this after hearing it pronounced by some English merchants in the district of San Lorenzo who were in the city to buy Florentine fabrics.
Let’s finish this roundup of excellent Florentine recipes with the king of street food: Il lampredotto: a boiled cow’s stomach similar to tripe usually served as a filling for tasty and unique Tuscan sandwiches. Symbolic food of Florence, it is found in typical restaurants but above all in the small kiosks scattered around the city that take the name of Lampredottai.
As you can read, in Florence you will find tasty foods of all kinds that will satisfy any palate, even the most demanding.
If you are interested in learning about and discovering our gastronomy, we recommend you to take a look at one of our food and wine tours that will enrich your visit to Florence in a very fun way.
Blog created by our tour guide Chiara Degano!