Have a Taste of Tuscan Italian Food
http://www.foodndrinks.net/articles/5570/1/Have-a-Taste-of-Tuscan-Italian-Food/Page1.html
Ryan Round
Ryan also runs a site for internet marketers providing new private label rights products, master resell rights products, articles, training and much more. By Ryan Round
Published on 02/26/2010
Tuscany is one of the most well known regions in Italy and it has perhaps more unique Italian food dishes than any other region.
Tuscany is one of the most well known regions in Italy and it has perhaps more unique Italian food dishes than any other region.
People love the simplicity of Tuscan Italian food and the region has it's own distinct style of cuisine. Tuscany is a treasure trove of Italian food but the real Italian food gem in Tuscany is not the unique entrees, but the unique breads. There are specific breads for specific holidays and seasons in Tuscany, specifically a bread known as Maremma used for the famed T-bone steak known as Florentine Steak.
Usually Italian food makes one think of different forms of pasta, but in Tuscany the Italian food of variety is the bread. The wines of Tuscany are superb and they have to be to go with the wonderful Tuscan style of cooking. All of this means that many Italian food lovers find many of their favorite dishes in Tuscany.
There are many different varieties of olives that are grown in the area and used extensively in the cooking. Olive oil is made from the Moraiolo, Leccino, Frantoio, and Pendolino olives. An important issue which is often not realized in countries that do not produce olive oil is that the freshness makes a big difference. A very fresh oil, as available in an oil producing region, tastes noticeably different from the older oils available elsewhere. Visiting Tuscany will give you the chance to try this and see.
Of course the area also has the cheeses that are a signature of Italian food. The most famous Tuscan cheese is Pecorino, made from sheep's milk, from the Siena area, eaten at the end of a good meal.
In October and November the people are up for a real treat because this is when the famous white truffles appear. White truffles from San Miniato are a speciality.
There are many other foods specific to the area and one of the most common is polenta. Polenta was originally a peasant food and is made from ground yellow or white cornmeal (maize). It can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the texture desired. Polenta is often cooked in a large copper pot known in Italian as paiolo. It is traditionally a slow cooked dish as it can take an hour or more and constant stirring is required."Polentone" meaning polenta eater (big polenta) is a derogatory term sometimes used by Southern Italians to refer to Norther Italians.
NB: The over reliance on polenta as a staple food caused outbreaks of pellagra (a vitamin deficiency disease) throughout much of Europe until the 20th century.
So it seems that Tuscan food is not to be missed. Beef of the highest quality comes from the Chiana Valley and a while array of dishes are produced right from the simple T-bone steak to Tuscan beef stew with polenta. The pork in the area is spicy which may come as a surprise to foreigners not familiar with this brand of Italian food.
But don't forge that one appeal of Tuscan Italian food is that it is generally healthy.
People love the simplicity of Tuscan Italian food and the region has it's own distinct style of cuisine. Tuscany is a treasure trove of Italian food but the real Italian food gem in Tuscany is not the unique entrees, but the unique breads. There are specific breads for specific holidays and seasons in Tuscany, specifically a bread known as Maremma used for the famed T-bone steak known as Florentine Steak.
Usually Italian food makes one think of different forms of pasta, but in Tuscany the Italian food of variety is the bread. The wines of Tuscany are superb and they have to be to go with the wonderful Tuscan style of cooking. All of this means that many Italian food lovers find many of their favorite dishes in Tuscany.
There are many different varieties of olives that are grown in the area and used extensively in the cooking. Olive oil is made from the Moraiolo, Leccino, Frantoio, and Pendolino olives. An important issue which is often not realized in countries that do not produce olive oil is that the freshness makes a big difference. A very fresh oil, as available in an oil producing region, tastes noticeably different from the older oils available elsewhere. Visiting Tuscany will give you the chance to try this and see.
Of course the area also has the cheeses that are a signature of Italian food. The most famous Tuscan cheese is Pecorino, made from sheep's milk, from the Siena area, eaten at the end of a good meal.
In October and November the people are up for a real treat because this is when the famous white truffles appear. White truffles from San Miniato are a speciality.
There are many other foods specific to the area and one of the most common is polenta. Polenta was originally a peasant food and is made from ground yellow or white cornmeal (maize). It can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the texture desired. Polenta is often cooked in a large copper pot known in Italian as paiolo. It is traditionally a slow cooked dish as it can take an hour or more and constant stirring is required."Polentone" meaning polenta eater (big polenta) is a derogatory term sometimes used by Southern Italians to refer to Norther Italians.
NB: The over reliance on polenta as a staple food caused outbreaks of pellagra (a vitamin deficiency disease) throughout much of Europe until the 20th century.
So it seems that Tuscan food is not to be missed. Beef of the highest quality comes from the Chiana Valley and a while array of dishes are produced right from the simple T-bone steak to Tuscan beef stew with polenta. The pork in the area is spicy which may come as a surprise to foreigners not familiar with this brand of Italian food.
But don't forge that one appeal of Tuscan Italian food is that it is generally healthy.