Seven Tuscan Street Foods You Have To Try

One of the strongest impressions you’ll have of Tuscany is the food. It’s simply delicious! We’ve mentioned before lots of lovely wineries and restaurants, but have yet to talk about street food, which can be some of the best and most authentic versions of Tuscan cuisine. These were dishes that, in the past, people used to eat as they were coming home from work. Some of these recipes have been passed down for generations! Plus, you can see the food being made and have a genuine interaction with the person who is preparing your meal. It’s also fast and cheap! What’s not to love?! Every town in Tuscany has its own street cuisine, but these are the ones we think you have to try.

Cecina

This dish is a pancake made of chickpea flour and often paired with marinated eggplant. It can be eaten by itself or in a panino. The pancake itself is baked in a large copper pan, making it crisp and golden on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside. It is best eaten piping hot with a sprinkling of pepper. It is also known as a cinque e cinque because it was five cents of bread and five cents of cecina. It is famous in the town of Livorno but can be found throughout the Tuscan coastline.

Schiacciata

Schiacciata is Tuscan flatbread, which depending on the bakery, could be crunchy or soft, raised or pressed, but could be also baked and topped with olive oil and salt. If you want to make it more filling, you can turn the bread into a sandwich with meat, cheese and/or vegetables.

Porchetta

This is another dish that can be served with or without a panino. It is a fatty and boneless pork roast, stuffed with rosemary, sage, garlic and wild fennel, then roasted over wood for 8+ hours. It is originally from central Italy but you’ll find it throughout Tuscany, especially at fairs and festivals.

Bomboloni

Bomboloni are little Italian donuts coated in sugar. They literally can be eaten in 1 or 2 bites (careful!). You enjoy them on their own or with cream, chocolate ganache or fruit jam. These treats can found throughout Italy, although they say that they were invented in Tuscany.

Gelato

Did you know that gelato is originally from Florence? It’s said that it first came about during the Renaissance when the Medici family sponsored a contest for who could make the greatest sweet. The winner was a Florentine chicken farmer named Ruggeri who wowed the judges with a frozen dessert of fruit juice and ice, similar to our modern day sorbet. Later, the recipe was perfected by Bernardo Buontalenti, again under the patronage of the Medici family, by adding cream and smoothing the texture. Today, you’ll find gelato shops everywhere, using just a few natural ingredients.

Pizza

If you want to eat pizza to go (versus at a sit down restaurant), walk up to the counter of a pizzeria and you’ll find several long rectangular pizzas. Choose one and indicate how big you want it. The pizza maker will then cut it with scissors al taglio, or in a smaller, slightly square shape and will charge it by weight. Common pizza flavors include pizza margherita (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil), pizza capricciosa (mushrooms, proscuitto, artichoke hearts, olives and half a boiled egg), and pizza pugliese (capers and olives).

Lampredotto

In Florence, you’ll find dozens of vendors selling panino col lampredotto, which used to be popular with peasants. Made from the fourth stomach of a cow (yes, you read that right, but they do consider this a delicacy), it is boiled in a seasoned broth, sliced into thin strips, stuffed into a bun and topped with a green sauce. It is now considered a real delicacy because of its unique flavors.

Try to sample as much as you can!