Tuscan cuisine and Italian food are different in so many ways. Even though they are usually spoken about as one and the same there are definite differences.

Italy is unique in the way that its local cuisines are determined by the readily available ingredients found within those particular regions.

Tuscan cuisine is based on what has been referred to as “The Peasant Diet”. This diet consists primarily of local vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, olives, onions, and garlic with small amounts of meat added to dishes for flavor. One of the main differences between Tuscan and Italian cooking is the use of olive oil instead of butter, which is a staple in Italian cooking.

For example, in Italy, they use balsamic vinegar as a condiment whereas, in Tuscany, they use it for salad dressings. The Italians typically cook with tomatoes whereas the Tuscans prefer using olive oil or butter.

The food may seem quite simple, but it is packed with amazing regional flavors. Meals are always served with regional bread, a tradition that dates back all the way to the 16th century.

Another ancient tradition the baking of unsalted bread has carried on today.  The reason for unsalted bread can be traced back to a tax that was placed on salt, leaving people to bake without it. However, the real job of this practically flavorless bread is to soak up all the juices and sauce left on your plate.

Another way that the people of Tuscany brought flavors to the bread so to speak, was to use ingredients like liver pate, prosciutto, sausage, other cured meats, and of course their famous olive oil.

All these culinary traditions have been passed down through generations and are still alive and well today. One of the dishes that Tuscany is known for is called Panzanella. As we all were told by our grandparents and parents alike, it is a sin to throw stale bread away. So with that being said, Tuscan people would take their leftover, hard bread and make a summer bread salad with seasonal vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion. Then they would be seasoned heartily with olive oil and vinegar.

At the end with all being said, Tuscan cuisine and Italian food are very similar. They both use the same foundational ingredients of pasta, tomato sauce, olives, fresh vegetables, cheese, and cured meats. Tuscan cooking tends to be less spicy than traditional Italian dishes, while also being more hearty and filling. Italian cooking can vary from this to very light fish-based type meals

The bottom line is that they both are amazing and DELICIOUS! 

Ok so basically everyone knows what Italian Food is…Pasta…Pasta…and Pasta. Just kidding!

Ok so, is there a difference between Tuscan cuisine and Italian cuisine? Let explore this a bit further.

Tuscan food is generally based on the Italian idea of preparing simple, inexpensive meals that can feed a large number of people. Tuscan cooking is not a style that relies on fancy, exotic seasonings or almost extinct, rare foods. It is made using fresh, high-quality ingredients that showcase the natural flavors in each dish.

Tuscany located in the Italian countryside makes it the perfect source for locally grown produce such as beans along with a variety of available meats. These foods serve as the base ingredients for many traditional Tuscan dishes. The Tuscan way of eating and preparing foods is not just in the technique it is a way of living!

Whether foraging for truffles or mushrooms, taking in the grape harvest, or sampling a genuine bottle of Tuscan olive oil, here local and homegrown is a lifestyle!

Ever hear the term Cucina Povera?

Cucina Povera, which means poor cooking, is the true basis of Tuscan cuisine. Starting when Tuscany was a very impoverished, rural region of Italy, it had very limited ingredients. This forced Tuscans to get very creative in the kitchen, embracing a “use everything” type of cooking mentality. This is where the magic happens, in the Italian cook’s ability to take the simplest of available ingredients and transform them into simple, incredibly flavorful dishes.

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Ribollita or Tuscan Bean Soup is really one great, easy-to-prepare dish! It’s a soup that truly exemplifies the simple, basic style of so many traditional Tuscan dishes. This soup is very similar to a traditional minestrone, except it uses beans instead of pasta. This classic Tuscan soup that’s made with white beans, vegetables, and crusty day-old bread. Sprinkle in a couple of herbs and a little Parmesan cheese and let yourself be transported into the romantic Tuscan countryside!

Tuscan Cuisine is known today as a vibrant cornerstone of Italian culture and food heritage. Tuscany is a region located in the central area of Italy and is known for its rolling landscapes. Some of the best-known cities in Tuscany are Florence, Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano.

Tuscan cuisine has ancient origins, dating all the way back to the Etruscan people at around 800 BC. They were initially greatly influenced by both the Greeks and then in later years Rome. The region came into its own during the enlightenment years of the Renaissance, with the likes of such masters as Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael. Here, great master chefs were brought into the noble courts and expected to prepare very elaborate and original dishes which went on to have influenced many other European cuisines.

Ancient Tuscans took a liking to a less elaborate and more simple type of dish, a more affordable cuisine. Their food was simple but very complex, as they experimented and developed many techniques that are used the world over, even to this day!

With the availability of beans, barley, fruits, vegetables, wine, and olive oil along with raised livestock as sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle the Tuscan diet was starting to take shape. This would be a style of cooking based on the abundance of readily available foods and not on the amount of wealth the people had.

Game meats are particularly popular in Tuscany, with such animals as wild boar, rabbit, deer, and pheasant. These meats are often roasted and served over pappardelle – are large, broad, flat pasta, similar to fettuccine. Tuscany’s simple and fresh presentations are so inspiring with the highlight of garlic, basil, and other herbs,  simple, flavorful, and unforgettable.