Florentines are proud people. And really—how could they not be?
When you’re born in Florence, the city of Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Galileo Galilei, and so many other artists and thinkers who shaped the world, you can’t help but carry a certain pride. But if there’s one thing the locals are just as proud of, it’s Tuscan cuisine.
One of the most wonderful experiences when visiting Florence, after you’ve wandered through breathtaking works of art, marveled at the architecture and soaked up the city’s rich history, and of course sipped and sampled your way through its flavors is getting out of the city and into the countryside.
A visit to a winery or an olive grove isn’t just a break from the bustle, it’s a true anthropological journey. It’s here that the real connection between the Renaissance capital and its deep-rooted food and wine traditions comes alive.
Tuscan cuisine is all about honoring high-quality ingredients. It’s grounded in simplicity and in harmony with nature and the seasons. That means dishes made with what grows locally, tied to agricultural festivals still lovingly celebrated to this day. Tuscany’s landscape is incredibly diverse—rolling hills and mountains, but also a beautiful coastline. Because of this intimate relationship with nature, each part of the region has its own distinct culinary and winemaking character. Florence, the regional capital, sits in the northern part of Tuscany, surrounded by hills with rich, fertile soil—ideal for growing grapes and olives. Some of the most iconic wines in the world come from this very area.
Did you know that Baron Bettino Ricasoli was born in Florence and Italy’s second ever prime minister, retired from political life to his estate near Siena and started making wine? He’s the man behind the original formula for Chianti: 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, and 15% Malvasia (a white grape). While the blend continues to evolve today—and white grapes are no longer required in modern Chianti—the commitment to quality remains. Chianti winemaking is still one of Tuscany’s most important local industries, protected by strict regulations that preserve not only the grape blend but also the traditional production methods.
You could say that today’s Florentine food tradition suffers from a kind of delightful identity crisis.
On one hand, you’ll find humble, rustic fare—root vegetable and bean stews, alongside bold, elegant wines from the Chianti region, sheep’s milk cheeses, artisanal salumi, and truffles. On the other hand, there are ancient aristocratic dishes: duck in orange sauce, béchamel-based sauces served with saltless Tuscan bread, or even peposo, a peppery beef stew originally made by tilemakers, who used spoiled meat simmered in black pepper and wine to mask the taste.
At first glance, it seems contradictory. But when you look at Florence’s social history, it starts to make sense.
Even during the Middle Ages, when Florence was one of the richest and most powerful cities in Europe, it was home to both wealthy vineyard and olive grove owning elites, and desperately poor laborers who stretched a single loaf of bread over a whole week.
Sit down in a traditional Tuscan trattoria and you’ll find food that’s rustic, unpretentious, and always served with wine. It could be a simple glass of the house wine, or a high end local boutique bottle – your call.
And of course, any respectable restaurant keeps a few prized bottles tucked away in the cellar, for true connoisseurs. By the way, it’s not super common, but if you plan ahead, you can sometimes bring a special bottle of your own.
When you go winery-hopping, you might notice something charming: many vineyards also have rows of olive trees. That’s no accident. Grapevines and olive trees are best friends. The hardy olive tree protects the more delicate vines, and the insects drawn to olive trees often feed on pests that would otherwise harm the grapes. That’s why you’ll find many wineries producing small batches of their own olive oil or olive growers using byproducts from oil production as fertilizer or organic pest control for neighboring vineyards.
And if you’re lucky enough to visit in the fall, you’ll get to taste the sweetest symbol of this grape-olive friendship in the form of a local bakery delight: schiacciata con l’uva — a purple, sugar dusted focaccia made with freshly harvested grapes, rosemary, and (of course) a generous pour of olive oil.
Trust me—you’ll be licking your fingers.
