Top 33 Foods Is Florence Known For
Florence, the epicenter of the Renaissance, is famous for its emphasis on art and architecture. People throughout the world are drawn to the majesty of this city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Fortunately, for those of you traveling to Florence, this city is also famous for its delectable cuisine.
Florence is known for foods like prosciutto, cantucci, pane toscano, panini, crostini neri, and many other treats. Most of these foods are of Italian origin, while some have come from other countries and become favorites in Florence.
Florentine cuisine is known for its Mediterranean palate combined with authentic Italian flavors. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular foods in Florence. Let’s get started!
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
The bistecca alla fiorentina is a steak variety. However, the breed of cattle, the cut of meat, and the preparation differ from your regular t-bone steaks. These factors give this Florentine dish a unique mix of texture and flavor.
The steak includes tenderloin and sirloin, unlike regular steaks. The meat is also cut from the Chianina breed of cattle, one of the oldest breeds in the world and originally from Italy.
Gelato
In Italian, gelato refers to any kind of frozen dessert. However, to the rest of the world, gelato is a different kind of ice cream first invented in Italy.
Gelato is typically made without egg and with less cream and sugar. This frozen dessert contains less fat than traditional ice creams and is much thicker. Thanks to its thickness and the density of flavor, eating gelato is often more pleasurable than regular ice cream.
It also makes a refreshing treat when visiting Florence in the summer.
Pappardelle Al Cinghiale
Originating in the Tuscany region (of which Florence is the capital), pappardelle al cinghiale is a dish that has traveled the world. You’ve probably come across some version of it before. This dish refers to a broad and flat type of pasta that is usually cooked with some kind of meat sauce.
While it differs in appearance, you can cook this dish like you would cook regular pasta.
Crostini Neri
Crostini Neri is an appetizer typically served in authentic Florentine homes. This dish consists of a paté or spread made from chicken liver, cream, anchovy paste, parsley, sage, and a few other spices.
The paste is spread in a thick layer on toasted bread before consumption. Most people eat crostini neri as a side, accompanying the other dishes on the table.
Crespelle Alla Fiorentina
It’s rumored that the crespelle alla fiorentina was created by Catherina de’ Medici, a noblewoman born in Florence who eventually became the queen of France.
This dish resembles a savory crepe stuffed with spinach and ricotta. However, instead of using pasta, the crepe is made with pancake batter, fried, and then fused with the stuffing. It’s a favorite comfort food in authentic Tuscan homes.
Schiacciata
Schiacciata is an authentic bread made in traditional Tuscan homes and used to accompany other dishes. From its appearance, schiacciata looks identical to focaccia, especially to the inexperienced eye.
However, the difference lies in the thickness of the bread and the method of preparation. Making focaccia is often a lengthy process and requires adequate preparation. On the other hand, schiacciata can be prepared quickly.
Prosciutto
Prosciutto is a word used to describe any kind of ham, typically made from a pig’s thigh. Prosciutto is prepared by carving out slices from the leg and curing it using a specific process. These slices aren’t cooked but salted and smoked, ensuring that the meat is safe to eat, although it appears raw.
Prosciutto is typically served as an antipasto or the first course in an Italian meal.
Cantucci
Popularly known as biscotti to the rest of the world, cantucci is an almond biscuit that was invented in the Tuscan region. Cantucci is made with flour, eggs, milk, sugar, and some type of nut, usually almonds.
Cantucci can be eaten on its own but is typically paired with dessert wine or espresso, making it an ideal all-day snack.
Zuppa Di Fagioli
Zuppa di fagioli translates to bean soup and consists of a bowl of warm, earthy flavors, perfect for cozying up on a cold winter day. This recipe uses meatballs, beans, and various vegetables stewed into a heartwarming and filling tomato-based broth.
Panzanella
Panzanella, typically consumed as an antipasto, is a type of Italian salad native to the Tuscan and Umbrian regions of Italy. It consists of bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, vinegar, and a few other ingredients, depending on who prepares the salad.
Some people like dijon mustard, while others avoid it to achieve a specific flavor.
Peposo Alla Fiorentina
Peposo alla fiorentina is a simple dish that can be prepared quickly by anyone who knows their way around a kitchen. Peposo is a traditional beef stew made with black pepper as the primary ingredient. The meat is cooked with wine and garlic, using black pepper as the base for its flavor.
It’s truly mind-boggling how such a delicious meal can be made with so little effort. Try it out!
Ribollita
Ribollita, meaning reboiled, is a soup made from leftover vegetables and stale bread infused with seasoning to give it a specific flavor. This dish was made famous by the peasants who would prepare large cauldrons of the soup on Friday and reheat it over the weekend, adding stale bread to the broth.
Typically, this soup is made with stale bread, kale, cabbage, and cannellini beans. However, some homes add cheap vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, and potatoes to the mix.
Pappa Al Pomodoro
Pappa al pomodoro is a famous tomato-based soup that originated in the Tuscan region of Italy. This dish is another vegetarian preparation and can be quickly thrown together with tomatoes, garlic, bread, onions, and basil.
The bread allows the broth to become thick and traps most of the flavor, making this a cozy snack between meals.
Lampredotto Panini
Lampredotto panini is a traditional Florentine sandwich, and is extremely popular on the streets of Florence. The word lampredotto in Italian refers to lamprey eels, and it’s used because the meat in this sandwich resembles them.
Lampredotto panini uses tripe, or the stomach lining of a cow, along with other tender meat to create a unique dish. And this sandwich is readily available everywhere you go in Florence, so consider it as a lunchtime option when exploring the city.
Pate Di Fegato
Paté refers to a spread made by mixing cream and creamed meat. Pate di fegato is a popular dish across Florence and is prepared using the livers of different animals, depending on the chef’s preference.
Pate di fegato is typically eaten with bread and set at the table so guests can always have a side of pate with whatever they eat.
Tagliatelle Funghi Porcini
A hearty vegetarian creamy meal made with pasta, mushroom sauce, and porcini mushrooms, this dish can be prepared within half an hour with the right ingredients.
Tagliatelle is a flat noodle variety of pasta, similar to fettuccine but thinner. Most people are content preparing only mushroom sauce and mushrooms with this pasta. And while people add cheese or other veggies, it’s best to consume this dish the traditional way.
Wine
Florence has been the center of wine production for nearly eight centuries, with the drink being brewed well before 200 BC. If you’re visiting Florence, it would be a crime to leave without having a glass (or several) of their fine wines. Some of the wines produced in Florence are famous across the world and are renowned for their piquant flavors.
Chianti is the most famous of Florentine wines and a name recognized by wine connoisseurs as well as casual drinkers across the world.
Pane Toscano
Pane toscano, or Tuscan bread, is an oval-shaped, white loaf of bread made using only yeast, water, and flour. The critical difference between Tuscan bread and other varieties is the lack of salt, which actually allows the yeast to rise more effectively.
Tuscan bread is known for its soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior and crunchy exterior. This combination of texture makes it ideal for soups like pappa al pomodoro and ribollita.
Cornetti and Caffe
Cornetto, meaning horn in Italian, is similar to the French croissant, with the difference lying in the ingredients used. Cornetti are made using dough, eggs, yeast, butter, water, and sugar. Egg yolk is spread on top of the bread to give it a shiny glaze during the baking process.
Tuscans enjoy cornetti for breakfast or at tea time, accompanied by a cup of coffee or espresso.
The difference between a cornetto and a croissant is that the croissant doesn’t contain eggs.
Coffee
While coffee wasn’t discovered in Italy, the Italians popularized this drink, making most people believe Italian culture is synonymous with coffee. And while Florence is known for art, architecture, and the several dishes you see on this list, the coffee culture is quickly catching on in this city.
If you’re visiting Florence, few things are as pleasant as sitting in one of their roadside cafes and gazing at the architecture while sipping an espresso. The best part is that most places will also throw in a cornetto with your drink!
All’in Zimino
Zimino refers to a kind of semi-solid soup found in many Italian regions. However, Florence is known for their special all’in zimino, a recipe that typically uses spinach instead of the regular veggies used in the other areas.
The zimino is a dish prepared by sauteing carrots, onion, and celery with oil. To this base, you can add cuttlefish, lamb, or even octopus. When everything browns a little, tomato, garlic, and wine is added to the mix. Finally, the spinach is added when the wine evaporates.
Now you’re left with a hearty semi-solid soup containing meat, veggies, and, most importantly, spinach.
Zuccotto
Zuccotto is a creamy Italian ice cream cake made in the shape of a pumpkin. This delicious dessert is often preserved in the freezer and thawed before being served semi-frozen. The cake and ice cream are typically chocolate-flavored, but different preparations exist depending on what you’re looking for.
Coniglio Arrosto Moto
Coniglio arrosto moto, originally from Florence, is a popular dish in many Italian regions. This recipe involves cooking or roasting an entire rabbit with special sauces and spices. It’s delicious, of course, but best to avoid it if you don’t have company, considering the size of the meal.
Tagliere
Tagliere is a setup loved and honored by Italians across the mainland. A tagliere refers to a large cutting board heaped with slices of various kinds of cheese and cured meats. A tagliere is usually consumed as an aperitif, with a cocktail or wine as an accompaniment.
Most restaurants also serve a tagliere along with your meals so that you can add pieces to your food accordingly.
Pasta
Pasta has become popular across the world, but there’s no place like Italy and no city like Florence to taste authentic Italian pasta. This food is made from unleavened wheat and mixed with water and eggs before being twisted into various shapes.
Florence is known for various pasta preparations, using different kinds of pasta. Some of the more famous ones include pasta pomodoro, aglio olio, and macaroni.
Truffles
Truffles are a type of fungus that grows in specific environments. It isn’t easy to grow them outside their natural habitat, but fortunately, Florence and the areas surrounding the city are perfect for growing truffles.
The French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin claimed that truffles were the “diamond of the kitchen” thanks to their many nutrients and the numerous ways they can be prepared.
The areas around Florence contain the perfect environment and soil conditions for truffles, and this fungus grows in abundance here.
Florence is known for truffles because it’s an ingredient used in several recipes, and people cook pasta with truffles, spaghetti with truffles, and even truffle ravioli.
You won’t find truffles in many places, and if you’re in Florence, it’s definitely worth a bite, considering how well it’s prepared here.
Gnudi
You’ve probably heard of gnocchi – an Italian dumpling made from flour, potatoes, eggs, and salt. Gnudi is similar to gnocchi in structure, but the ingredients that go into it are quite different.
Gnudi is made with ricotta cheese instead of potatoes fused with semolina. This preparation produces a soft, chewy dumpling that is much lighter than the dense gnocchi.
Gnudi translates to “naked” in Italian. It has been given this name because gnudi is like naked ravioli, made up of only the filling but not the pasta covering.
Panini
A panini is a bread roll or any sandwich with specific Italian bread. Ciabatta and rosetta are the most popular bread used to prepare paninis. A panini can be stuffed with any filling, and in Florence, it’s usually slices of meat with veggies in between.
It makes a delicious lunch when you’re out exploring Florence’s sights and is readily available.
Pizza
Sure, everyone’s tasted pizza. But probably not the ones made in the country where pizza was invented. And Florence is a hub for pizza lovers, especially considering all the beautiful restaurants to sit in while enjoying a slice.
Pizza had to be on this list, considering how much it’s ingrained in Italian culture. So if you visit Florence, be sure to eat a slice or two.
Bomboloni
A bomboloni is an Italian doughnut made with a cream filling and often consumed after meals or during tea time in the evenings. Bombolonis typically contain chocolate, vanilla, or mango cream inside, but you can find an endless variety of fillings in Florence.
The difference between a bomboloni and a doughnut is in the preparation, as bombolonis take more time, and lemon or orange extract is usually added to the dough.
Budino Di Riso
The budino di riso is a Florentine favorite and is served in most coffee bars and breakfast places, usually with espresso. The budino di riso is a rice pudding tart encased in a crust that crumbles delightfully with every bite. The tart inside is filled with a sweet yet savory rice pudding.
You’ll find powdered sugar on top. However, the tart isn’t overly sweet, and it’s perfect for when you’re feeling indulgent.
Most people eat this tart with espresso, but you can also try it with a glass of wine as the flavors pair well.
Vin Santo
As mentioned earlier in this article, Florence is the capital and birthplace of wine. So, it’s only natural that they’re figured out a way to have wine for dessert!
Vin santo is a sweet dessert wine usually served after lunch in Florence. This beverage is generally accompanied by other sweet desserts to help them go down easy.
This wine is made with white grapes, which are often dried on straw; hence it’s sometimes called straw wine. Not all vin santo wines are the same, ranging in sweetness from mild to extreme.
Negroni
The Negroni is a famous cocktail that has traveled the world but was invented in Italy. This drink is popular in Florence, a city flocked by tourists looking to get drunk as the sun goes down. A Negroni is made with gin and Campari, with certain variations in preparation depending on where you order one.
The Negroni is a must-have in Florence, and if you drink, you’re sure to be offered one at every bar you visit.