Archive for 'Products & Specialities'

Tuscany is one of the ultimate foodie destinations in the world where food is at the centre of the culture, it is fresh and simple, tasty and wholesome, one doesn't have to spend a lot to eat well, and there is a year-long calendar of food-related events that take place all throughout the region. You could find a perfect villa in Tuscany and spend your whole trip visiting different towns, trying different specialities and attending different food festivals. One of the big-hitters, however, is Boccaccesca, and annual food and wine street festival in the lovely medieval town of Certaldo Alto, on Via Boccaccio.

You have found an ideal vacation rental in Florence, you have packed your perfect holiday outfits, you've booked tickets to the Uffizi, you know where you're going shopping...it's all organised. The only thing left to do is start planning your menus because there is no bigger priority when you're visiting Tuscany than trying the famous and celebrated local cuisine. We have written about all sorts of Tuscan dishes before – from Lampredotto, a Florentine street food favourite, to Florentine-style peas, a typical side dish – but there is one key dish that meat-lovers, in particular, can't miss out on: Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

Pici are a thick, hand-rolled kind of pasta that look a little like fatter pieces of spaghetti and originated in the Montalcino area of the province of Siena in Tuscany. Sometimes referred to as pinci, they are made from a simple dough, typically made from only flour and water, though egg is sometimes added, depending on the recipe you are following. Like with many Tuscan foods, different families have their own tricks and methods that are handed down over the years and, so, some families will use egg and others will swear against it.

Italy is best known for her wines and images of the vineyards of Chianti and sipping prosecco in Venice are disseminated all over the internet, television and travel guides. However, wines are not the only delicious tipples that can be found in Italy. There are plenty of other liqueurs and cocktails and other alcoholic beverages that are unique to, and typical of, the country that you should try while relaxing there on your next Italian getaway.

China Massagli (pronounced KEE-nah Mah-SAH-lee) is a unique Tuscan liquor that was first created in the nineteenth century by a one doctor Massagli, who was the owner of a pharmacy in Piazza San Michele in Lucca. Originally sold as a medicinal beverage during the Malaria epidemic of the 19th century in the city, it is now a local tipple that is a must-try for any foodie that has found a vacation rental in Lucca and is exploring the gastronomy of the city.

One of the main ingredients of the drink, from which it partially gets its name, is China Ginebona Officinalis. Also known as Jesuit's bark, the plant contains quinine, an ingredient used to fight fever and malaria, which is still sold in pharmacies to this day.