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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 08 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Nicky Swallow

Tuscan cooking is recognised as being among the best regional cuisines in Italy, yet it’s based on the concept of cucina povera (humble cooking) and on modest ingredients.

Traditional Tuscan cuisine is hearty and rustic, and based on simple ingredients such as bread, pulses, meat and poultry, fresh veg and olive oil, all prepared with the minimum of fuss. Close to the coast, you’ll find more fish and seafood, but again, recipes are simple.

Tuscan red wines are highly-respected throughout the world. A local trattoria will usually offer a perfectly drinkable, cheap and cheerful house wine (red is a better bet) sold by the litre. More sophisticated regional wines to try include Brunello, Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile.

What to try

Typical dishes include chicken liver-topped crostini and garlicky bruschetta piled with white beans and lashings of Extra Virgin olive oil; hearty bread-based soups such as ribollita and papa al pomodoro; pasta dishes such as pappardelle with hare sauce and ravioli stuffed with Swiss chard and ricotta.

Mains are mostly meat-based; garlic and rosemary-spiked arista (pork loin), grilled sausages and ribs (rosticciana), and the majestic ‘Fiorentina’, a vast T-bone steak served rare (and don’t dare ask for it to be well-done).

Regional desserts include castagnaccio (flat chestnut cake flavoured with rosemary) and the hard almond biscuits known as cantucci to be dunked in sweet vin santo wine.

Tuscany is renowned for its robust red wines; look out for Chianti Classico, Brunello and the so-called ‘Super-Tuscans’ from the Bolgheri area. There are many small estates producing superb wines and these are often cheaper than the big guns; ask the wine waiter for advice.

Also see Nicky’s round-up of traditional Italian foods to try when you’re in Italy.

The dining scene

The restaurant scene covers all bases from traditional, family-run trattorie to new-generation osterie where young chefs riff on the dishes that Mamma used to make.

A ristorante implies a more formal eating experience (though not always); a trattoria or osteria is likely to be more relaxed. For a glass of wine and a snack, look for an enoteca or bottega del vino. Then there are the elegant temples to gourmet cooking, a number of which have Michelin stars.

Most decent-sized towns in Tuscany have a Consorzio Agrario; a kind of rustic supermarket, which sells local produce such as wines and olive oil, cheeses and charcuterie, honey, jams and local bread.

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Gourmet dark milk chocolate truffles hand made by chocolatier
Experience

Andrea Slitti Chocolatier

Cintolese, Tuscany, Italy

Andrea Slitti is one of the most respected artisan chocolate-makers in Italy. His base is the spa town of Monsummano Terme (in the middle Tuscany’s so-called ‘Chocolate Valley’), where he has a café and shop piled with a tempting array of his products.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free

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Bolgheri Wine Region
Experience

Bolgheri Wine Region

Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

The Bolgheri region was where the first so-called ‘Super-Tuscan’ wine was made in the 1980s, and it continues to be exported around the world. The village of Bolgheri is postcard pretty; wine estates to visit include Ornellaia (book well ahead), Podere Sapaio and Le Macchiole.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Chianti Wine Region

Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Home to some of Italy’s best wines, the DOCG Chianti Classico stretches across 177,500 acres of undulating, vine-striped land between Florence and Siena.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Dish of home-made creamy Tuscan chicken
Experience

Cooking classes at Jul’s Kitchen

Colle di Val D'Elsa, Tuscany, Italy

Colle Val d’Elsa Food writer/blogger and photographer Giulia Scarpaleggia and her husband run the excellent ‘Jul’s Kitchen’ offering a range of hands-on cooking classes alongside courses in food writing and photography. Classes are held in their house in the countryside between Siena and Florence.

Best for ages: 13+ | £70 | 3 hours

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Tuscany

Tuscany, Italy

The astonishingly beautiful region of Tuscany has it all: art cities and ancient hill towns, high mountains and long sandy beaches, alongside luxurious hotels and some of Italy’s best food and wine.

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