Archive for 'Slow Food'

Truffles have had a long reputation in the culinary world as a beloved product that can immediately elevate even the most basic of dishes. For many years, people all over the world have been seeking them out and paying incredible amounts of money for the highest-quality examples. However, the world of truffle tourism has grown massively in recent years as travelling foodies have sought out new culinary experiences and planned holidays entirely centred around eating well. As Tuscany's truffles are known to be some of the best and most valuable in the entire world, those foodies who want to experience delicious truffles, truffle dishes, and truffle products should browse our Tuscany villas and spend their next vacation well by sampling some truly incredible and delicious things while they relax and unwind. Given that fall is a perfect time of year to get excellent truffles and when most of the region’s truffle festivals take place, it is the perfect time to secure that vacation rental in Tuscany today. Plan a trip in the next couple of months and be sure to seek out Tuscany's brilliant truffle festivals for the best experience of this wonderful foodie favourite!

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Autumn means harvest season and if you were thinking about an off-season vacation in Tuscany in one of our Tuscany villas then foodies will be glad to know thaat it is also foodie season. During the Fall, Tuscany is not only flooded with all sorts of delicious food products that have been freshly harvested but it abounds with food festivals. While food festivals do take place throughout the entire year, there are endless options to choose from at this time of the year, in particular. One of the larger and most impressive among these has to be Certaldo’s Boccaccesca festival. Named for and held in honour of the famous 14th century writer and beloved son of the town, Boccaccio, this foodie festival has been taking place since 1999 and sees Certaldo Alto taken over for three to four days each October or late September by all sorts of food stalls selling products and snacks, demonstrations, lessons, talks, tastings, and much more besides. So, if you love to eat well and you have been browsing our luxury villas in Florence nearby or our holiday rentals in Certaldo itself, then consider planning a getaway in the area around the 14th to the 16th of October this year or around that general time on any given year to sample the delights of the Boccaccesca festival.

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A vacation in Tuscany in fall means taking in the famously beautiful landscapes of the region made even more stunning by the autumnal colours that take over, means bargains as off-season prices kick in after the summer, means smaller queues and fewer crowds, and it means less intensely hot weather. However, one of the best things about travelling in the region through fall is that it is harvest season, which means that there are all sorts of hearty regional dishes to try and all sorts of perfectly fresh and delicious foods and produce to sample. While truffles, apples, and other fruits and vegetables are important to the autumnal cuisine of Tuscany, one of the key ingredients that you will find in all sorts of delicious dishes and desserts come fall is the chestnut.

At their best in October, chestnuts are prepared in quite a wide variety of different ways from roasting to boiling to mashing to being used to make a flour and then turned into various kinds of confections. Grown at an elevation, they are found mostly in mountainous regions such as along the Apuan Alps and the Apennines and in areas such as Lunigiana, Garfagnana, Pistoia, the Casentino, around Marradi, and in the Mugello. However, as big cities such as Florence and Siena are nearby, you'll find chestnut-based goods all over Tuscany in the fall. If you are fond of chestnuts, in particular, or if you just happen to be planning on finding a villa in Tuscany and exploring the foodie delights of the region this autumn then here are some of the must-try chestnut-based dishes that you should add to your culinary bucket list...     Read More

Serious foodies know that one of the world's must-see holiday destinations for those who like to eat well is Tuscany. Home to a rich food culture that has produced globally-recognised dishes served up in millions of households all over the world every day, hearty favourites inspired by peasant food traditions, superstar ingredients that are acknowledged for their excellence by the European Union, incredible wineries turning out endless delicious wines, ice-cream shops from children's dreams, bakeries stuffed full of traditional treats and cakes, and much more besides, there are lots of impossibly tasty things to eat and drink if you have found a villa in Tuscany and are spending time in the region. However, one particular product that might not immediately come to mind when thinking of the culinary tradition of Tuscany is chocolate. Despite this, Tuscany is home to the, “Chocolate Valley,” where most of the best chocolate in Italy and some of the best chocolate in Europe is produced each year. If you were thinking about a vacation in Tuscany and you're a chocolate-lover, then this is one more reason to bite the bullet and book your villa with pool in Tuscany today!     Read More