Archive for 'Products & Specialities'

Enrich your Tuscan holiday experience by exploring the areas of this region where famous Slow Food products are made. These are recipes for a range of products like cured meats, salamis, fish and breads that have been passed down through the generations and are still as popular as ever among food enthusiasts.

There is a fine selection of Tuscany vacation rentals in Ghivizzano, Casentino and Maremma for visitors to choose from, and these areas are also where the following tasty delicacies originated!

Ghivizzano town in the province of Lucca in Tuscany produces a delicious cured meat called ‘Prosciutto Bazzone’. The making of it starts with what the semi wild pigs from which it is made, are fed on. They graze on faro, apples, pears, acorns, chestnuts and scotta which is a leftover cheese by-product.

This gives the meat an intensely rich nutty flavour that is often enjoyed with another Tuscan slow food product called Pane di patate della Garfagnana. The curing process of Prosciutto Bazzone is a timely one as the meat has to be salted and seasoned before being pressed under weights for several months before it is ready; but tourists can be assured that this delicious delicacy is well worth the wait!

Experience the fantastic flavours of Tuscan ‘Slow Food’! These are traditional products that have been successfully passed down from generation to generation. They were vigorously promoted in a battle against the growing fast food movement in Italy in the late eighties.

There's a lovely selection of villa rentals in Pistoia, Carmignano and San Miniato to choose from, where the following products originate.

Visitors will have a wonderful time tasting all this delicious food; it could be an excellent addition to a gastronomic tour of the region!

The art of wine harvesting in Tuscany is treated with great reverence and can be something that tourists can enjoy getting involved in if they are planning a holiday here during the autumn months!

Everywhere you look in Tuscany; from the hills of Montepulciano to San Gimignano, it’s highly likely you’ll spot a vineyard or at least clusters of grape vines which families and local neighbourhoods come together to harvest.

Tourists have a wide range of wonderful accommodation to choose from all across Tuscany where you can witness the interesting process of turning ripened grapes into delicious red, white and rose wines. Why not stay in a beautiful luxury villa in San Gimignano where you can be close to all the action!

Learn all about the long and fascinating tradition of truffle hunting in Tuscany on your next vacation here! This delicious relative of the mushroom is a delicacy all over the world and can be very expensive to buy. Visitors wishing to book a truffle hunting tour should stay in the charming town of San Miniato in Pisa province where there is a nearby area in which they grow.

There are professional truffle hunters here who travel through the wooded area of San Miniato with their sniffer dogs in search of the elusive white truffle! The white truffle is the most expensive in the world because of its rarity and delicious pungent flavour. It is pale cream or light brown in colour with white marbling.

A truffle is the fruiting body of an underground fungus. Book a place on a fun truffle hunting trail with an expert guide who will lead through the woods where they grow close to the roots of trees.

They come out of the ground, half hidden under the dirt and could be easily missed without learning tips on how to find them by your expert guide!

There are different trail packages to choose from that include a delicious lunch made using truffles or a tasting along with some nice wine. Visit their website for more information on this exciting opportunity to engage in one of Tuscany’s oldest and most enjoyable traditions!

Wine and Italy go hand in hand, with some of the world's most famous elixirs being manufactured here. From Chianti to Prosecco, there is no shortage of delicious wines to try. One of the most interesting is the vino novello in Italy, which is the new wine. There are numerous festivals and feasts throughout Italy, all in celebration of the new wine harvest. This fresh, young red wine is the first wine combing from the grape harvest, with an intense color and fragrance. It is served during the first part of November, and can be made from any local grapes. Some popular grapes that are used include Merlot, Nero d'Avola, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese, for example.

There are several rules that pertain to the vino novello in Italy. For example, it is only allowed to be sold after November 6th of the year of the grape harvest, after midnight.