Try the LAMPREDOTTO: a very popular Florentine street food that you can buy from stalls around the city. Lampredotto is part of the cow’s stomach, cooked in a broth containing herbs and tomatoes!
Try the SFRATTI: cigar-shaped biscuit, with a thin layer of unleavened dough, wrapped around a filling of chopped walnuts, honey, orange peel and nutmeg!
Try the CASTAGNACCIO: This traditional cake is made with chestnut flour and is common in the mountainous Apennine area of Tuscany!
Try the Sorana beans "AL FIASCO": Small and very thin-skinned cannellini bean cooked "in fiasco" (in glass containers with large openings), with garlic and sage
Try the SEDANO ALLA PRATESE: Celery ribs with a meat filling made of veal, mortadella, parsley, parmesan and eggs!
Try the GARMUGIA: A vegetables soup with a very little meat. A modern version includes some dried pancetta (belly bacon – non smoked) and a little ground meat.
Try the ZUPPA DI FARRO: a traditional soup made with spelt, vegetables and borlotti beans. Spelt from the Garfagnana area is particularly good compared to the spelt cultivated in other regions.
Try the SCHIACCIATA CON L'UVA: a sweet version of “flat bread,” oven baked and filled with grapes.
Try the TRIPPA ALLA FIORENTINA: There are various “trippai” or tripe stalls dotted around the city and the markets sell tripe boiled or cooked, according to various recipes.
Try the CANTUCCI DI PRATO: The most famous biscuits from Prato, made with almonds, butter, flour, eggs and sugar. They are great dipped in Vin Santo.
Try the PANFICATO: is a typical cake made of dried fruits from Giglio island, similar to Siena's Panforte.
Try the SCHIACCIA BRIACA: This is a kind of sweet flat bread, topped with pine nuts, raisins and dried fruit, which has an Oriental flavour. Aleatico red wine has also been added to the bread.
Try the TORTELLI RICOTTA E SPINACI: These square shaped ravioli are very popular across the region. The ravioli from Maremma are the biggest in size.
Try the TESTAROLI E PANIGACCI: Unusual types of fresh pasta made from an egg-free dough that is flattened between the testi like a crepe and then briefly plunged into boiling water before serving.
Try the PICI ALL'AGLIONE: it is similar to spaghetti although it's thicker and the pieces are stretched by hand. "All'aglione" means seasoned with tomato and garlic sauce. DIY: http://bit.ly/1lKlTgd
Try the PANFORTE: Ancient Christmas sweets, made with walnuts, almonds, candied citron, mixed spices and coriander seeds!
Try the POLENTA DOLCE: chestnut flour polenta, seasoned with sausage, ricotta and pork liver!
Truffle lover's paradise! Try the "tagliolini alle briciole e tartufo" and visit the truffle museum. In March (one weekend) don't miss the Marzuolo truffle market-fair: http://bit.ly/1iuuTWP
Try the BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA: T-bone steak (traditionally of either the Chianina or Maremmana breeds of cattle), grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, seasoned with salt, black pepper, olive oil.
Try the BERLINGOZZO: a simple but tasty ring-shaped Carnival cake. The secret of the Berlingozzo cake is of the use of local ingredients, such as extra virgin olive oil.
Try the CARCERATO PISTOIESE SOUP: made with giblets, stale bread, water and enriched in spices, cheese and garlic. Many years ago the hungry prisoners used all those goodies to make a soup.
Try the PANFORTE GLACÉ: it is a chocolate-covered fruit cake containing only almonds, hazelnut cream, vanilla beans, chunks of chocolate, cocoa butter, and candied cedar fruit from the south of Italy.
Try the CIALDE di Montecatini: it is a very simple sweet, without added fats or preservatives, made up of two fragrant wafers composed of flour, sugar, milk, eggs and crushed almonds.
Try the PANIGACCI: traditional bread from the Lunigiana area. It’s round and flat and cooked on special terracotta plates called ‘testi’, which are placed directly in the fire.
Try the TORTA D'ERBI: vegetables stuffed pie, usually served hot and cooked on special terracotta plates, called ‘testi’, which are placed directly in the fire. [photo by turismoinlunigiana]
Try the LASAGNE BASTARDE: a very special type of lasagna pasta made with chestnut flour. [photo by terredilunigiana.it]
Try the ANGUILLE SFUMATE: marinated and then smoked eels. A pepper sauce is used for the marination. [photo by orbetello.blogolandia.it]
Try the BISCOTTO SALATO: a tasty bagle made with water, oil, flour, salt, yeast, and anise seeds.
Try the TORTA D'ERBI: a very special dessert made with vegetables, such as chards and spinach, and flavored with sugar, raisins and pine nuts. [photo by Lucca Italian School]
Try the PESCHE DOLCI: peach-shaped pasta with sugar, flour, baking powder, butter and orange juice. [photo by saporinews.it]
Try the CINGHIALE IN UMIDO CON LE OLIVE: in November, olives are picked by hand, one by one, and then cooked with the wild boar that, which is marinated and prepared in a stew.
Try the ZUCCHERINI: special biscuits made with flour, eggs, butter, sugar and aniseed. Very good for breakfast or for a snack. [photo by pratoturismo]
Try the ZUPPA DI FUNGHI: tasty soup made with all the mushrooms that can be collected on the Amiata mountain. It’s served with toasted bread that is rubbed with garlic.
Try the PONCE ALLA LIVORNESE: A traditional hot drink from Livorno made with coffee, rum, sugar and lemon peel.
Try the CINQUE E CINQUE SANDWICH: focaccia filled with Farinata or Cecina (chickpea flatbread). Name comes from the past: slices of both chickpea flatbread and focaccia costed only five lire each.
Try the MUCCO PISANO: a crossbreed between Schways breed (from the Alps) and local cattle breed. Flavour of its meat is intense and particularly tasty. At its best if grilled with roasted vegetables.
Try the BACCALÀ COI PORRI: fried salted and breaded cod that is flavored with leeks. [photo by cookaround.it]
Try the STUFATO ALLA SANGIOVANNESE: a succulent stew made with veal meat, vegetables and spices. [photo by nonsolopiccante]
Try the SCARPACCIA: a zucchini Pie baked with both salt and sugar. It is served in the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a meal.
Want to taste a traditional dish? Look for "Scottiglia" or "Zuppa del Tarlati". Are you vegetarian? Ask for "Sugo Finto", looks like ragù but it is meatless. For dessert try the "Gattò"! Read more.
