Know your food: a gastronomical guide to Tuscany

Know your food: a gastronomical guide to Tuscany

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Tue 19 Jul 2016 6:07 PM

In Tuscany, good food is always a priority. Far and wide, restaurants and bars serve the finest cuisine; it’s a matter of pride. We gobble it up, often without a moment’s thought. Have you ever stopped to think about how that delicious dish came to be? About the sourcing of the ingredients, the production of the oil, the execution of the age-old recipe? It’s time to engage your mind as well as your stomach: now is your chance to learn some of Tuscany’s culinary tricks of the trade, and Ciao Florence’s VIP Gourmet Traveller Tours might just provide the appetising experiences you’re looking for.

 

Fattoria di Maiano, Fiesole

Villa Maiano, Fiesole

 

Can’t get enough of that Tuscan extra virgin olive oil? Now you can discover how it is produced!

 

Nestled in the hills of Fiesole, just outside the hustle and bustle of Florence’s city centre, stands Fattoria di Maiano. Surrounded by 300 hectares of olive groves, this majestic farm and villa was a favourite spot of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Join this list of VIPs and learn the subtle art of oil production, all the way from the tree to the golden good stuff, at Fattoria di Maiano’s Oil Mill. And the learning curve wouldn’t be complete without a tasting session of the biologically produced oil (alongside other Tuscan specialities such as prosciutto, Pecorino cheese and red wine) and a tour of the farm, orchards and botanical gardens.

 

ciaoflorence-frantoio

 

Has eating in Tuscany given you a taste for fine cuisine? Why not learn to cook Tuscan-style and bring those gourmet flavours home with you?

 

Florence’s Farmers’ Market provides every ingredient you might need to whip up first-rate fodder, always fresh and locally sourced. But when you’re bombarded by such a vast array of sights, tastes and smells, it can be hard to know what to buy, and what to do when you’ve bought it. Now you can sate your culinary curiosity by taking an Italian cooking class led by a famous local chef.

 

ciaoflorence-chef

 

You can experience the market in all its authenticity, meeting butchers, bakers and farmers and trying their wares before making your selection. Then, whisked off to a villa in the Chianti countryside, you have the opportunity to make your favourite dishes for yourself, including pasta from scratch. It’s the kind of experience that keeps on giving, as with the day’s recipe book you can continue to wow people with your tasty new talent!

 

ciaoflorence-tuscan-buffet

Salva

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