Delectable Sins in Tuscany Gastronomy on the Shores of the Mediterranean

Text: Marie-Pacifique Blanckaert Adapted by: Christophe Cusseau Photos: Italian Travel Office

A pizza? Forget it!

You said "cucina italiana"? Forget pasta, pizza and other such stereotypes. Benevenuto to the traditional dishes of Italy. Here, regional diversity is matched with the variety of colours just like in Tuscany, land of the sun and the Mediterranean .

In the great plains full of fruit trees, grapevines and olive groves, native products are still developed lovingly: olive oil, aromatic herbs, seasonal vegetables, cooked meats (delicatessen) and ewe cheeses such as "pecorino" or "ricotta"; all of which are invitations to feast.

For a start, taste "panzella" and "bruschetta", both specialties based on olive oil, basil and garlic. Less familiar to foreigners but delicious when well prepared: "fagioli all'uccellleto" (beans in tomato sauce) and "baccala" (dried cod fried with parsley, garlic and tomatoes). For desert, don't miss out on "cantucci", crusty cookies served with delicious Santo wine.

And don't limit yourself to culinary pleasures; adopt the local way of life. Allow "campanilisimo", the parochial view impregnate you and don't forget the "passeggiatta", the traditional evening walk in Tuscany alleyways. On your way, you'll see magnificent "palazzo" such as the Strozzi Palace in Florence, a Renaissance construction, or else San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno a Roman-style palace in Pisa.