Linda is going to Italy tomorrow, so I've had to omit a lot of things.
Dripdrip, there's meat in the first paragraph.
Lampredotto
Lampredotto is the quintessential Florentine street food and is made with the fourth and final stomach of the cow. Lampredotto is slow-cooked in a vegetable broth enriched with tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery and parsley. Traditionally, it's chopped up to order and served in a panini (sandwich), the upper half is dipped in the broth. Lampredotto can also be topped with a green sauce (salsa verde) or a spicy sauce. Lampredotto is also served in restaurants. To be honest, even though I don’t like tripe (trippa), I have to admit lampredotto looks inviting.
Tuscany isn’t exactly known for its pastries. Most desserts have a chewy or crunchy texture and contain nuts and spices.
Cantucci (Cantuccio, singular)
What you call biscotti is actually cantucci. These biscuits are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy and made with flour, eggs, sugar (or honey) and whole almonds. Cantucci and Vin Santo (a dessert wine) are a match made in heaven, so much so that it’s tradition, even in restaurants, to end the meal by dipping a biscuit in the wine before eating it.
Panforte (IGP)
Panforte literally means strongbread. Panforte is a chewy cake usually made with almonds, hazelnuts, honey, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, candied fruit, clove and other spices. It’s actually a Christmas dessert, but who cares. It has IGP status, so you know what to look for. Panpepato, or pampapato, is a more complex version of Panforte that builds on its flavours by adding cocoa powder, chocolate, grape must and other stuff.
Castagnaccio
This is made all over Italy, so it’s not exclusively a Tuscan dessert. As the name suggests, castagnaccio is a chewy cake made with chestnut flour. It’s to die for.
I hope you’ve all enjoyed this mini-series. Linda, if you have any questions or need any help (language or food) during your holiday, I’m at your disposal.
Linda, are you planning to go to All'Antico Vinaio? If so, make sure you don't go during rush hour.
Heavens, Linda, what a treat! Please take pictures of any of these dishes you try and give us a post-holiday post :) Have a safe trip!
I forgot to warn Linda about the Tuscan dialect. Linda, these weirdos—there's no other way to call them—use a phonetic phenomenon called Gorgia Toscana. In some cases, they replace /k/ with an [h], /t/ with [θ] and /p/ with [ɸ]. La casa (the house) becomes la hasa. La tuta (the tracksuit) becomes [la ˈθuːθa].
Like I said, weirdos. If you dared me to a try not to laugh challenge and showed me clips of Tuscans with thick accents, I wouldn't last more than ten seconds.
Uly, is that second paragraph correct?
Perfect!
Thanks!
Cantucci and vin santo were my great discovery when I visited Florence 30 years ago. My homemade cantucci aren't bad.
I'm sure they taste great😋.
Brava!!!!!!!!!!! Grazie Mille, Simo. These series were splendido!! I really enjoyed reading everything. I'd love to try the desert, Castagnaccio in Bresia when I get there. I really want to visit Tuscany some time.
Yumi, Simo's a man, so you say Bravo!
I'll forgive you Yumi. This is nothing compared to poor Virginia; she's been through much worse. Next time you go to Italy, remember that Simone is a male name in Italian.
As for castagnaccio, I don't know if you can find it in Brescia. It's not easy to find in general.
Uly, thank you for correcting my poor Italian. Simo, you made my day! I'm laughing so hard now, lol. You are the funniest guy I've ever met. I remember Simone is a male name. Got it! I'm sad I might not able to get the desert in Brescia. I will ask it to Virginia.
Ask her to make some gnudi too.
Lol, I will be careful when I pronounce the word.
👍😆