Culinary Tuscany - what should you definitely try?

Tuscan cuisine is rustic: few, high-quality ingredients, plenty of olive oil, day-old bread, legumes, seasonal vegetables, and grilled meat. This list showcases the specialties you absolutely must try in Tuscany – from ribollita and bistecca alla fiorentina to cantucci with Vin Santo. Our page on food and drink in Tuscany explains how to order in bars, trattorias, and restaurants, and what "coperto" means.

The basic ingredients of Tuscan cuisine

Extra virgin olive oil forms the basis of almost every dish . In late autumn, when the new oil is pressed, fettunta – toasted bread with garlic and fresh oil – is ubiquitous. The typical Toscano pane (DOP) is baked without salt; stale bread doesn't end up in the trash, but in soups and salads. These are complemented by white beans (cannellini), black kale (cavolo nero), herbs like sage and rosemary, and game from the forests.

Specialties you should try

Ribollita, Pappa al pomodoro and Panzanella

Ribollita is a thick stew of bread, beans, kale, and vegetables, traditionally reheated the next day—hence the name ("the reheated one"). Pappa al pomodoro is a creamy tomato and bread soup with basil, while Panzanella is a summery bread salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and basil.

Pici and pappardelle al cinghiale

Pici are thick, hand-rolled pasta from the area around Siena and the Val d'Orcia, often served "all'aglione" (with garlic and tomato sauce) or with ragù. Pappardelle – wide ribbon pasta – are particularly popular served with wild boar ragù (cinghiale).

Florentine steak

The most famous meat dish in Tuscany is a thick T-bone steak, grilled over charcoal and served rare (al sangue) – seasoned only with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. The highest quality beef comes from the white Chianina cattle of the Val di Chiana. Bistecca is usually priced by weight and often serves two.

Lampredotto and Cacciucco

In Florence, food trucks (trippai) sell lampredotto: boiled beef tripe in a bread roll with green sauce – a true Florentine street food. Along the coast, it's all about fish. Livorno is famous for cacciucco, a hearty stew of various fish and seafood with tomatoes, served on toasted bread. For addresses, see Livorno: the best restaurants.

Sausage, ham and cheese

• Finocchiona (IGP): coarse salami with fennel seeds
• Prosciutto Toscano (DOP): spicier and saltier than Parma ham
• Lardo di Colonnata (IGP): spiced bacon, which is cured in marble tubs at Carrara ripens
• Cinta Senese (DOP): Meat and sausage from semi-wild pigs with the white "belt"
• Pecorino Toscano (DOP): Sheep's cheese, young (fresco) mild, aged (stagionato) nutty and strong; Pecorino is particularly well-known from Pienza

Sweets from Tuscany

To finish, there are cantucci – hard almond biscuits that are dipped in the sweet dessert wine Vin Santo. From Siena come panforte, a dense fruit and nut cake with spices, and the soft almond biscuits ricciarelli. In autumn, many families bake castagnaccio, a flat cake made with chestnut flour, rosemary, pine nuts, and raisins.

Wine with dinner

Red wines made from Sangiovese grapes pair well with meat and pasta: Chianti and Chianti Classico , Vino Nobile from Montepulciano , and Brunello di Montalcino. White wines such as Vernaccia di San Gimignano or Vermentino from the coast complement fish and appetizers – learn more under White Wines of Tuscany and Wine Regions of Tuscany.

Experience culinary delights: markets, cooking classes, food tours

The best way to get to know the cuisine is at weekly markets , village festivals (Sagre), and on an agriturismo (farm stay). Cooking classes, where you can, for example, make pasta by hand, can be found at GetYourGuide (Tuscany cooking classes) ; in Florence, a guided gourmet tour is a great option.

Frequently asked questions about Tuscan cuisine