Top 5 Most Typical foods in Florence
In Florence, there is a wide array of unique dishes you won't find anywhere else in Italy.
We bring you the 5 most typical foods of Florence and tell you non-touristy places where to eat them.
Pappardelle al Ragù di Cinghiale
Pappardelle are a type of flat, wide pasta without filling. They are similar to tagliatelle (tagliattelle), but much wider.
And what is cinghiale? Wild boar. There are various typical dishes in Florence using this animal's meat, as there are quite a few wild boars in the area.
The wild boar meat is slow-cooked for several hours, making it extremely tender.
The ragù is a type of sauce made of meat, tomato, vegetables, and spices. You could say it's similar to a homemade tomato sauce (it's much more natural than the typical "fried" tomato we buy in Spain).
Hostaria Il Desco.
A traditional place for typical Florentine food recommended on the afternoon Free Walking Tour of Florence. It's small and cozy. They have all kinds of gluten-free dishes.
Polpettone alla Fiorentina
It's a beef meatloaf. It contains eggs, spices, Parmesan cheese, mortadella, and flour. It's usually covered with tomato and a vegetable sauté.
This dish was born from the ingenuity of resource-poor people, who combined all the food they had to see what would come out.
Macelleria Luca Menoni.
A traditional Florentine butcher shop in the Sant'Ambrogio market. They have quality meat and affordable prices.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
My favorite. A super tender grilled beef steak. Perfect for lovers of high quality tender meat.
The steak usually weighs 1.2kg, so it's hard to end up hungry. This meat is famous worldwide. Once you try it, you'll understand why.
The meat is cured for 25/30 days to reach maximum tenderness. You'll notice it easily melts in the mouth.
There's only one drawback: the price. About 40/50 € just for the steak. If you're on a tight budget, this won't catch you by surprise.
Trattoria dall'Oste.
A typical Florentine food restaurant specialized in meat. They have the best cattle breeds, and of course, the Chianina (a breed native to the area).
Cinghiale in Dolceforte
Here comes a quite unusual traditional Florentine dish. It's wild boar meat with a sweet sauté of onion, raisins, pine nuts, chocolate, carrot, and spices.
This typical Florentine dish has been prepared since the Renaissance era and is typical of carnival.
Osteria del Porcellino.
A traditional restaurant with various different wild boar recipes. Reasonable prices.
Schiacciata Fiorentina
The schiacciata is an oven-baked cake made with: sugar, eggs, flour, butter, milk, and spices. Essentially, it's perfect if you're on a diet.
The special touch is given by the orange peel and cinnamon.
If you have a sweet tooth, you can try the version filled with whipped cream, which is even better (I drool just thinking about it).
Pasticceria Marisa Firenze.
They have fantastic schiacciata and a wide variety of sweets. Perfect for getting really fat breakfast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it easy to find these types of foods in Florence?
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What to keep in mind when trying typical Florentine foods?