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July/August 2023 XIV MAGAZINE Finocchiona, the most popular product, followed by Mortadella di Prato , Prosciutto Toscano DOP, Lardo di Colonnata IGP and the well-known salami alla cacciatora DOP. Cheeses include Pecorino Toscano DOP, the best known in the region, Pecorino Romano DOP from Grosseto and Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane in the Volterra area. PRODUCTS FROM THE SOIL Rich in forests and meadows, Tuscany is the right home for chestnuts, mushrooms, truffles and saffron. The types of chestnuts are different, as are the flours produced from them. The Monte Amiata IGP chestnut stands out above all others. It is sweet, delicate and versatile because it can be boiled, roasted or made into jam, ice cream, polenta and castagnaccio. In Mugello, on the other hand, there are the Marrone del Mugello IGP and the Marrone della Valtiberina DOP. Moving further north, we find two PDO chestnut flours, that of neccio in Garfagnana and that of Lunigiana. Also among the area’s typical products are mushrooms and honey; in the province of Massa Carrara, especially in Pontremoli, the Fungo di Borgotaro mushroom and the Miele della Lunigiana DOP honey are well known and valued . It is not a rule, but usually the land that host mushrooms also host truffles; and Tuscany boasts six areas that host six different truffle species. The white truffle grows wild in Mugello, near the banks of rivers, especially the Sieve and its tributaries. Other truffle varieties, mainly white, can be found in the Casentino area. In the Maremma of the Grosseto area, the truffle grows easily, the most widespread variety being the marzuolo , typical of the sandy soils of the coast. Other important areas for truffle production are found between Pisa and Florence: the hills of San Miniato, a town known as the ‘city of truffles’, is also famous for being able to supply the whole of Italy, as well as hosting one of the most important markets at the end of November. Among the seven territories in the province of Siena, other excellent areas for the white truffle are the Crete Senesi and San Giovanni d’Asso, a village also known for hosting the Truffle Museum. Finally, the Valtiberina, in the province of Arezzo, especially the towns of Anghiari and Badia Tedala, is the last important area for the truffle that takes its name from the area in which it can be found. And remaining more or less in the same area, another equally important raw material is Zafferano di San Gimignano , a PDO cultivation that respects traditional methods and produces over 150,000 flowers. If you move from inland to the coast, towards the Livorno area, you cannot leave the table without eating Caciucco , an indigenous fish soup that has now become an Italian recipe that includes 5 to 13 varieties of fish and molluscs: scorpion fish, mullet, cuttlefish, cuttlefish, musky octopus, conger eel, weever fish, octopus and so on, all cooked in a rich tomato sauce, red wine and fish broth to be accompanied by strictly Tuscan toasted bread. Another typical Tuscan seafood dish, whose origin is on the island of Elba, is Stoccafisso alla riese . A second course prepared in an earthenware casserole, cooked with tomatoes, potatoes, olives and parsley. The islanders recommend setting aside the skin and stomach of the fish to add them in pieces during cooking. ICING ON THE ‘CAKE’ In accordance with Italian tradition, the meal always ends on a sweet note and here the desserts are many and original, from dry to creamy, very light. ‘The person in charge of dessert at Caino is Fabiana Lunghi ,’ concludes Valeria Piccini. ‘She is a very refined pastry chef, her desserts are light and not too sweet, just think that she uses vegetables, such as celery, basil and peppers, in addition to fruit. Among the sweets typical of the Siena area but also known throughout the Peninsula are Ricciarelli and Panforte , once associated exclusively with Christmas festivities, today they are present on tables all year round. Equally famous are the biscuits from the province of Siena, the cantuccini di Prato, to be dipped in vinsanto dessert wine at the end of a meal. Between the 1980s and 1990s, Caino changed its appearance, people no longer drank and ate at the counter but sat at the table with a menu. A choice that was not so much appreciated by the restaurant’s regulars, who were attached to Angela and Carisio’s traditional cuisine. It was a difficult time for Valeria and Maurizio, some old customers left them and there were very few new ones. The couple did not give up, however, and with the support of their families went on until the first Michelin star arrived in 1991. I didn’t expect it and I didn’t even know Michelin Stars existed,’ says Chef Piccini jokingly, ‘there was a rumour among wine representatives that someone in Maremma would get a Star, but I didn’t think they would give it to me, but to my friend Luciano who had a fish restaurant in Grosseto. After the first Star, soon came the second, an accolade that made Valeria Piccini a full-fledged member of the top ten Italian female chefs. AT PAGE 49 PRODUCTS Cinta Senese Dop The presence of the breed in Tuscany has very ancient origins. This is attested by several frescoes dating back to the Middle Ages. One among many, the ‘Effects of Good Government’ by Ambrogio Lorenzetti from 1338-40 inside the Palazzo Comunale in Siena. The Cinta Senese is medium-sized, with a black coat and a white band (a belt) around the chest and shoulders. The meat has excellent organoleptic qualities thanks also to the special rearing and feeding conditions. The animals graze in the woods and/ or on sown bare soil and feed on what they find: tubers, roots and organic material. Cinta Senese meat is characterised by a strong presence of marbling fat and low liquid/ water loss during cooking. They are particularly tasty, tender and succulent with a bright pink or red colour. The original home of the Cinta Senese PDO is the Montemaggio area. Subsequently, it spread to Chianti and all over Tuscany. The mixed oak and acorn forests are the ideal habitat for this breed. The geographical area of production of Cinta Senese PDO meat is represented by the Tuscany region’s administrative territory up to an altitude of 1,200 metres above sea level. Cinta Senese meat is recommended for preparing ragouts and roasts, but is particularly used in traditional Tuscan charcuterie such as prosciutto, capocollo, salami, rigatino and guanciale. Pecorino Toscano Dop Tuscan Pecorino cheese has very ancient origins dating back to the Etruscans. The earliest reports of its production can already be found in Pliny the Elder, who proves the presence of the product in the area of Luni, today’s Lunigiana. Pecorino Toscano is produced from whole sheep’s milk in two varieties with the addition of calf rennet. The paste undergoes cooking and breaking to obtain curd granules of