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In every area of Tuscany extra virgin olive oils are produced. Each of them is special, due to the variety of olives used, the characteristics of the land and the harvesting period. Tuscan extra virgin olive oil is safeguarded by the Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) since 1998; this IGP standard provides for strict regulations from harvesting to milling, up to packaging. Generally, as soon as it is obtained, Tuscan oil has a strong green colour which then turns to a more golden dominant. The aroma is intense. A slice of bread topped with good Tuscan oil can be a king's dish…
It is advisable to do some tasting, and stopping in the wine shops in the centre of Florence which - in addition to Chianti and other Tuscan wines - often also sell oil in bottles or cans. So you can choose the one that best suits your taste.

In Tuscany, the nectar of the gods is mainly Chianti which is exported all over the world and is produced with different grape varieties: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia. Flasks and bottles of this wine are on sale everywhere. If you want, you can take advantage of the tastings that almost all the Chianti wineries organize. Going to do a tasting is very pleasant as Chianti is a beautiful Italian area.
In addition to Chianti, among the other Tuscan red wines, we could mention Brunello di Montalcino, Montecucco, Rosso di Montalcino, Ciliegiolo, Nobile di Montepulciano. Among the white wines, Vermentino Colli di Luni, Vernaccia di S. Gimignano. Finally, among the sipping wines, Vin Santo di Carmignano and Aleatico Passito dell’Elba.

The so-called Fiorentina is a dry-aged steak of at least one kilo, T-shaped and 4 centimeters high. It is obtained from the Chianina cattles, which were bred also by the Etruscans and Romans in ancient times. The Fiorentina is on sale in every butcher's shop. Tuscan meats in general, both white and red, are excellent. For example, among the red ones, Maremmana, Calvanina and Garfagnina are very appreciated and raised in the wild. Their delicious cuts of meat are used in recipes such as Peposo, that is a part of the beef muscle cooked in terracotta containers. In the Florence markets there are still stalls that sell tripe and lampredotto, typical ingredients of some Florentine recipes. For those who do not want to to cook this offal, tripe and lampredotto are typical street foods that can be bought ready-made. They can fill a sandwich or be taken home in a take-away tray.

Throughout the region, thanks to the work of shepherds and cheesemakers, there are several varieties of excellent pecorino, produced in the mountains, hills and plains. In fact, Tuscany, unlike Northern Italy where cheese is derived mainly from cow's milk, has a dairy production centred on sheep's milk. One of the best pecorino is undoubtedly the Scoppolato di Pedona produced in Versilia, aged in a cave for six months and processed with double curdling. In addition to pecorino DOP, whose most important production areas are Pienza, Mugello, Val di Cornia, Tuscany offers a wide selection of cheese: mountain one, goat one, blue cheese, and many other kinds flavoured with pepper, marc, tomato and truffle.

It is impossible to stop your mouth watering for the typical Tuscan handmade cured meats: the soft finocchiona whose meat is mixed with fennel seeds and flowers, the sbriciolona which easily crumbles, the fresh Tuscan sausage meat that can also be seasoned with a mix of spices and aromas, the soprassata which is produced with pork not used for other kinds of meat and enriched with spices and garlic, the salty cheek covered with pepper, then the capocollo, the lonzino and the cured ham. The art of butchers in Tuscany is record-breaking.

The Tuscan culinary tradition includes many dishes based on legumes and cereals. These ingredients make recipes appetizing and are very good for your health. In this region there are over twenty varieties of legumes: from the superfine Sorana bean to the Pratomagno zolfino which is particularly suitable to be added to ribollita, the typical Tuscan bread soup. And then, among others, the Piegarino bean from Garfagnana, the Schiaccione bean from Pietrasanta. Among the chickpeas, we can mention the pink one from Reggello and the Rugoso from Garfagnana. There are different possibilities of choice for cereals and the mixtures with spelt, barley, and various types of lentils give us the basis for the warm and tasty Tuscan soups.