The Flavorful Food of Tuscany

Each region in Italy has its own unique cuisine, and Tuscany is a good starting point for exploring the best in Italian food. Tuscan cuisine is appreciated world-round for its fine natural and flavorful ingredients. A look at the Tuscan countryside reveals some of the key ingredients in local cooking: olive groves with their silvery sheen, fairytale forests of chestnut trees, hillsides blanketed in grape vines, angelic sheep lolling among ruins, fragrant rosemary and sage bushes lining gardens. Tuscan cooking is simple and seasonal, without the heavy sauces found in other regions.

Courses

Traditionally, meals in Italy usually contain 3 or 4 courses. Meals are seen as a time to spend with family and friends, thus daily meals can be longer than in other cultures. Lunch, or “Pranzo”, is considered the most important meal of the day.

Lunch Break

During lunch hours (typically 12pm to 2:00pm) school children are allowed to go home and most shops close for a pause. This is characteristic of that easygoing Italian way of life that visitors find so alluring and desirable.

Classes