Tuscan cooking remains popular across the world thanks to the traditional method, recipes and ingredients, which are still used in all of the region’s dishes and desserts. Closely tied to the peasant past of the region, it is this secret that makes Tuscan food such a favourite.

The symbol of Tuscan cooking is its bread. Traditional Tuscan bread is prepared without salt. For Tuscans, bread represents an important element of their culture not only as basic nourishment but also as a symbol of their traditions. Part of a long past, bread is used in a majority of recipes and is often the main ingredient, as in panzanella (a bread salad), acquacotta (a vegetable soup with thick bread croutons), minestrone vegetable soup, black cabbage soup, fettunta (the Tuscan version of bruschetta) and ribollita (another Tuscan vegetable and bread soup).

For Tuscans there is nothing better than a good piece of meat at the end of a hard day. The most popular meats are white meats such as chicken, rabbit, turkey, all of which were once raised in backyards; and game including wild boar and hare caught, in what is a tradition for all Tuscan men, hunting.

Cured meats prepared with boar or pig meat have always represented another important part of the Tuscan diet. From the moment the meat is minced the Tuscans treat the act of making salamis and other cured meats like a big party, celebrating not only good homemade food but also the fact that the family is there cooking together. Produced all across Tuscany, salamis, traditional prosciutto cured in salt, the sausage and other unique cured meats provide the backbone of the Tuscan peasant cuisine.

The fertile lands and grains found across much of Tuscany has also helped the region rise to the top of the best cheese maker list. The main cheese in the territory is the Tuscan Pecorino, which varies in taste and odour depending in which province it was made in. Tuscany is also famous for its ricotta and raveggiolo.

With all these delicious savoury dishes, Tuscans still find room in their hearts and stomachs for dessert. Just as important traditionally and culturally as bread, Tuscan desserts include chickpea cake, cantucciVin Santo (almond biscotti), always served with a good glass of liqueur, panforte and tiramisù.