Tuscany Farmhouses

Tuscany Gastronomy

Talking about gastronomy of the Chianti means talking about the triumph of the cold cuts. The most important is the home-made ham, raw and salty, with a thick white and uniform fat;
then there is the salami which is lean meat of pig ground with care and united to a third of hard fat which is cut into cubes. The “finocchiona” is another type of cold cuts of ancient tradition  it is obtained by  a grinding of ham and hard fat of pig and treated with seeds of fennel. Very similar is the “sbriciolona” or briciolona, but it is more tender than the finocchiona; its ingredients are roughly ground, it is very delicious to eat with the figs. At last there is the rigatino, also called carnesecca,  a particular Tuscan way to call the beacon; It is called in this way for its lines of fat and lean in different colours.
The “sopressata” is another cold cuts made of head and tongue of pig to which is added the pigskin and other parts cut into pieces and pressed all together.
About cheeses, there is not only the pecorino but also the marzolino, a sheep’s cheese produced during the spring.
Very particular is the home-made bread “sciapo”, that is without salt, oil or butter. Its crust can be  smooth but also rough, while the crumb is compact and a little bit humid with a light colour.
This is very delicious to eat with the oil, it is called “fettunta” also served with the garlic; in the summer is very typical to eat the “panzanella” a simple dish whose origin derives from the necessity to recycle the stale bread with products of the kitchen garden.