Archive for 'Food and Wine'

One of Italy’s most delicious and widely exported products is of course, olive oil. The trees on which olives are grown are modest in appearance but they have been the staple food of Mediterranean countries for millennia.

High quality olive production is treated with almost a godlike reverence, especially in Tuscany where tourists are likely to see olive groves no matter what direction they look at in the countryside! For those who would like to witness the care and love that this delicious fruit receives, a trip to anywhere around some Tuscan country towns would be the perfect viewing point.

Visit and perhaps stay a few nights in a charming holiday villa in towns like Poppi, Bibbiena and Fiesole where you can relax and enjoy the cultural delights they have to offer.

When you come on vacation to Tuscany, you will be introduced to a wide selection of delicious breads to choose from with your meals. Italians love their bread but there are so many different types to choose from that, without knowing a bit more about the different types, tourists may become confused!

Those wishing to stay in cities and towns across the region have a wonderful selection of tuscany holiday rentals available to them; enjoy a nice relaxing seaside experience in Livorno or enjoy the fast paced movement of cities like Siena or Pisa.

Baked dough in Italy can be divided into two categories; bread and sweets. Bread is often baked daily and sold to be placed on the table at mealtimes. It’s sold in sizes ranging from one kilogram to one and a half kilograms.

There are four basic types of bread; bread with no salt, bread with salt, bread with salt and olive oil, bread with salt and olive oil and a few other ingredients like ‘Foccacia’.

If you’re holidaying in Tuscany and are enthusiastic about tasting authentic homemade food products that invigorate the senses then you're in for a treat! This beautiful region of Italy has protected the cultivation and production of slow foods in direct response to the monstrous growth of the fast food industry in the country during the eighties.

Great food has been an integral part of Tuscany’s cultural heritage and thanks to the many people who fought hard to promote them in their local areas, you can still taste these exquisite old recipes today.

The following areas of San Miniato, Pistoia, Lunigiana, San Vincenzo, and along the rest of the Tuscan coastline has a wonderful selection of luxury villas and other great value holiday accommodation for visitors to stay in and explore the culinary trail of delicious slow food products that originate here.

Whilst on your holidays to Tuscany, you might like to take some time to learn about the fascinating ‘slow food’ movement that is an integral part of Tuscany’s cuisine tradition. This was a courageous stand made by a group of Italians in 1986 to promote the consumption of delicious homemade produce created using only the finest ingredients.

Many were dismayed at the rapidly growing number of ready meals and processed foods in local supermarkets and fast food restaurants in towns all across Italy so below are some of the delicious foods that Tuscany fought hard to, and successfully brought back into regular Italian cooking.


All of the locations mentioned below have a fantastic range of Tuscany villa rentals and much more to offer visitors who wish to explore the culinary history of this region.

Enrich your Tuscan holiday experience by exploring the areas of this region where famous Slow Food products are made. These are recipes for a range of products like cured meats, salamis, fish and breads that have been passed down through the generations and are still as popular as ever among food enthusiasts.

There is a fine selection of Tuscany vacation rentals in Ghivizzano, Casentino and Maremma for visitors to choose from, and these areas are also where the following tasty delicacies originated!

Ghivizzano town in the province of Lucca in Tuscany produces a delicious cured meat called ‘Prosciutto Bazzone’. The making of it starts with what the semi wild pigs from which it is made, are fed on. They graze on faro, apples, pears, acorns, chestnuts and scotta which is a leftover cheese by-product.

This gives the meat an intensely rich nutty flavour that is often enjoyed with another Tuscan slow food product called Pane di patate della Garfagnana. The curing process of Prosciutto Bazzone is a timely one as the meat has to be salted and seasoned before being pressed under weights for several months before it is ready; but tourists can be assured that this delicious delicacy is well worth the wait!