Italians on Italians
Beyond Toscano

Tuscany’s top tastes

We’ve already shared many Tuscan delicacies with you in the pages of this blog. But if we had to narrow down the extraordinary range of dishes you’ll find in Tuscany to just a handful, you’d be hard pushed to find a better introduction to the regions’ cuisine than these. 
 
Ribolita 
Originally a peasant favorite, this bread-based dish starts as a soup with beans and kale, and next day, leftovers are recooked with olive oil to make broth. 
 
Ragu 
This meat-based sauce is popular across Italy, but in Tuscany, it’s the pairing with wild boar and gnocchi that escalates Ragu to cherished status. 
 
Pappa al pomodoro 
Bread features heavily in many Tuscan dishes, but this is the ultimate in comfort food. The ingredients are simple; bread, tomatoes and olive oil, but the results sublime. 
 
Lampredotto 
An iconic Florentine street food, don’t let the fact it’s made from a cow’s fourth stomach put you off, the broth and accompanying spicy sauce it’s cooked in make this a very tasty bun filling. 
And for something sweeter: 
 
Necci 
From the areas north of Lucca, these chestnut pancakes are filled with rich ricotta cheese. 
 
Castagnaccio 
Chestnuts again feature in this simple cake. An acquired taste, it mixes chestnut flour, sultanas and pine nuts, with olive oil and rosemary.