Christmas in Tuscany is a magical thing. There is no shortage of wonderful sights to see, events to attend and foods to try during the festive season.
Of course, if you're interested in food, in particular, there is one destination that stands out as a perfect choice of a Tuscan city in which to spend Christmas...Siena, of course! There are plenty of great options for places to spend the festive period, as we have been discussing in this series of posts, but here are some more of our particular picks of Tuscan cities that make for great Christmas travel destinations.
Of course, if you're interested in food, in particular, there is one destination that stands out as a perfect choice of a Tuscan city in which to spend Christmas...Siena, of course! There are plenty of great options for places to spend the festive period, as we have been discussing in this series of posts, but here are some more of our particular picks of Tuscan cities that make for great Christmas travel destinations.
Siena
So, why is Siena such a good festive foodie option? It's because of all of the traditional sweets, of course! If you have a sweet tooth, it is the perfect destination for you this Christmas! Just find a luxury villa in Siena and try them for yourself.
The beautiful and historic Siena, is actually particularly well-known for her pastries that have been made using recipes passed down for generations upon generations. One example are cavallucci (meaning “little horses”) biscuits are made from flour, honey and sugar, in the shape of half an apricot. Panforte is another, probably more well-known example, a cake similar to a fruitcake that is made of nuts, honey, sugar and spices. People argue about where the cake was actually born but Siena is considered the panforte capital of Italy and one of the best places to get it. Another typical Sienese cake that is served around Christmas and which has ancient origins is Panpepato. It is more rustic than Panforte, with lots of spices, giving it a strong flavour. Ricciarelli, meanwhile, another biscuit that are crisp and delicate and in the shape of a lozenge. Marzipan-based, their ingredients include orange peel, candied citron, spices and almond.
Of course, there are plenty of other wonderful cities in Tuscany with plenty to offer a visitor travelling during the Christmas period. Be sure to read on to the last and previous posts in this series for more of our highlights and picks.
So, why is Siena such a good festive foodie option? It's because of all of the traditional sweets, of course! If you have a sweet tooth, it is the perfect destination for you this Christmas! Just find a luxury villa in Siena and try them for yourself.
The beautiful and historic Siena, is actually particularly well-known for her pastries that have been made using recipes passed down for generations upon generations. One example are cavallucci (meaning “little horses”) biscuits are made from flour, honey and sugar, in the shape of half an apricot. Panforte is another, probably more well-known example, a cake similar to a fruitcake that is made of nuts, honey, sugar and spices. People argue about where the cake was actually born but Siena is considered the panforte capital of Italy and one of the best places to get it. Another typical Sienese cake that is served around Christmas and which has ancient origins is Panpepato. It is more rustic than Panforte, with lots of spices, giving it a strong flavour. Ricciarelli, meanwhile, another biscuit that are crisp and delicate and in the shape of a lozenge. Marzipan-based, their ingredients include orange peel, candied citron, spices and almond.
Of course, there are plenty of other wonderful cities in Tuscany with plenty to offer a visitor travelling during the Christmas period. Be sure to read on to the last and previous posts in this series for more of our highlights and picks.