Go local!

I should spend a few words about the abundance of local products and groceries we are lucky enough to find here in Tuscany!

Local markets (a very nice one takes place on Sunday morning at the square in Panzano in Chianti) are a pure delight and a good opportunity, especially for our visitors from abroad, to discover sometimes unknown local type of food. Every season brings its own cargo of fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats and fish.

For healthy dishes of the Mediterranean Diet it is essential to use exclusively seasonal products which grow locally and are not imported from far away by plane all year round. This assures Life Quality, health and a balanced diet.

Step inside a small shop, welcomed by a sonorous “buongiorno” or “buonasera” and you discover a small albeit rich world of local products: fresh eggs from hens living outside in the fields, marmelades made out of tasty and sun ripened fruit, shapes and sizes of pasta you´ve never seen before, rich sausages waiting for a barbecue.. those places are the best way for all of us to experience and taste those precious, edible treasures which enrich the Italian culture: FOOD!

We are lucky enough to enjoy a good variety of seasonal  choices starting early spring with light green fresh SPINACH and local HERBS to cook, the flat shaped PEACHES in July and August (locally called “tobacco pot”), the juicy and sugary GRAPES in August and September, later in the year the  much awaited Porcini MUSHROOMs, our intense scented new olive oil in November (a visit to a mill at that time of the year is a must.. ), the black cabbage (cavolo nero) which is best after the first frost in November etc.

Olive Oil available in November

Herbs are available from early spring to November

Sure, you can get everything all year round in your supermarket, but once you have tried the variety of local tomatoes in July and August, you won`t forget their taste anymore.

All ingredients for healthy food can be prepared using easy recipes…better still, come to Tuscany and enjoy our products. If you would like to learn more, don`t hesitate to ask. Chianti & more provides cooking classes and food experiences with professional Chefs.

Buon appetito