Tuscan cuisine comprises the culinary traditions of the Tuscan region in Italy, celebrated for its simplicity and focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients like olive oil, legumes, and meats. Rooted in the cucina povera (Italian for 'cuisine of the poor'), it emphasizes seasonal ingredients and straightforward flavors over complex sauces and spices.[1]
Bread plays a very important role in Tuscan cuisine. One specialty of Tuscan cuisine is a white, plain, unsalted bread. This bread accompanies all foods. This bread has its origin in the 16th century when salt was heavily taxed.[3]
Simplicity is central to the Tuscan cuisine. Legumes, bread, cheese, vegetables, mushrooms, and fresh fruit are used. A good example of typical Tuscan food is ribollita, a notable soup whose name literally means 'reboiled'. Like most Tuscan cuisine, the soup has peasant origins. Ribollita was originally made by reheating (i.e. reboiling) the leftover minestrone or vegetable soup from the previous day. There are many variations, but the main ingredients always include leftover bread, cannellini beans, and inexpensive vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, beans, silverbeet, cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), onion, and olive oil.
A regional Tuscan pasta known as pici resembles thick, grainy-surfaced spaghetti, and is often rolled by hand. White truffles from San Miniato appear in October and November. High-quality beef, used for the traditional Florentine steak, come from the Chianina cattle breed of the Chiana Valley and the Maremmana from Maremma.
Pork is also produced.[4] The region is well-known also for its rich game, especially wild boar, hare, fallow deer, roe deer, and pheasant that often are used to prepare pappardelle dishes. Maiale Ubriaco, or "Drunken Pork", is another regional preparation in which pork is braised in Chianti wine and often paired with Tuscan kale.[5]Lardo is a salume of cured fatback, served as thin slices or as a paste; a famous variety is lardo di Colonnata.
Regional desserts include cantucci (oblong-shaped almond biscuits), castagnaccio (a chestnut flour cake), pan di ramerino[it] (a sweet bread containing raisins and rosemary), panforte (prepared with honey, fruits, and nuts), ricciarelli (biscuits made using an almond base with sugar, honey, and egg white), necci (galettes made with chestnut flour) and cavallucci (pastry made with almonds, candied fruits, coriander, flour, and honey).
Tuscan cuisine is a blend of Etruscan and Roman cooking traditions. The Etruscans, who inhabited the region before the rise of Rome, were skilled in viticulture, cultivating grapes and producing their own wines. They also foraged for truffles, an ingredient that became a prized element in their cooking.[6][7]
The foundations of Tuscan cuisine began to take shape during the Renaissance, particularly under the influence of the Medici family. The Medici not only elevated the quality and sophistication of Tuscan food but also impacted French cuisine through Catherine de' Medici, who brought Tuscan culinary techniques and ingredients to France when she married King Henry II.[6]
In Tuscany's countryside, the tradition of "riuso" developed, driven by the philosophy of "not throwing anything away." This approach led to a resourceful use of ingredients, inspiring iconic dishes like ribollita and panzanella, which transform simple, leftover ingredients into hearty meals.[8]
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