The city of Florence is not only home to the widely recognized Duomo and other Renaissance masterpieces, but it is also a foodie’s heaven. Wondering what delicious delights await locals and visitors, a food tour of Florence, Italy, brings the Tuscan culture to the plate with each bite. Whether soups to desserts, beefy warming staples to sweet indulgences, these are just some of the delectable delicacies you will have on a guided culinary tour of Florence.
Tuscan Breads & EVOO Tasting
You typically begin your food tour with a taste of freshly baked Tuscan bread – crispy and airy, perfect for dipping. Olive oil is not the only thing! You will have an experience with extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) that you can drizzle onto hot focaccia or slice pane Toscano. And guides can even give a crash course in the comparison between peppery, buttery, or grassy olive oils. It is a tasty reminder of the reason that Tuscany is renowned all around the globe for its olive orchards.
Classic Florentine Cold Cuts & Cheeses
Next up in food tours, Florence, Italy? A tray of the local cured meats and cheeses. It can be as Tuscan salami is, salty and slightly peppery, but goes best together with tangy Pecorino cheese. This cheese is sharp and creamy and is usually flavored with truffles, making the bite more delicious. Combining small portions of crostini with liver pate or any other savoury spreads, this course presents the ages-old cuisine with origins in the traditional Tuscan farms and agriturismi.
Pappardelle al Cinghiale or Fresh Pasta
Fresh pasta is one of the bright spots of any food tour in Florence, Italy. Don’t be surprised to sample popular items such as pappardelle al cinghiale: broad, thick ribbons of fresh pappardelle pasta with a rich wild boar rag. In case boar is not to your taste, you might be served with another local specialty (i.e., fresh ravioli filled with cheese or spinach, or with mushroom-filled tagliatelle). And this is where you will enjoy Italian mania in the quality of ingredients and traditional recipes.
Florentine Steak & Regional Specialties
A complete bistecca alla Fiorentina (T-bone steak) may be tantamount to the number of cities in a single guided tour, yet most outlets provide small sample slices or tapas-sized servings with the innate specialties of the region. You will sample crostini con fegatini (toasted bread with chicken liver topping) or little skewers of braised pork, which all provide an intense preview of the rich foodstuffs of Tuscany.
Savoury Snacks: Olive All’Ascolana, Arancini & More
Be prepared to eat fried snacks in bite-sized pieces! Included in some food tours is an experience of sampling street foods such as arancini (crispy rice balls filled with cheese or ragu liquid), crocchette (potato croquettes), or olive all’asciutta; green olives stuffed with meat with a crunchy breadcrumb covering. They are most probably coupled with a glass of fizzy wine or homemade beer and represent the Italian approach to informal yet tasty street food.
Sweeter Side: Gelato, Biscotti & Sweets
In case gelato happens to be the best ice cream in the world, you will taste it here, in conventional tastes, such as pistachio, stracciatella, and the fruit of the season. The tours are usually interrupted by a visit to a traditional gelateria to taste two scoops along with a biscotti or cantucci sprinkled with sugar, the best version of it being dipped in Vin Santo, a dessert wine of Tuscany. Sticky panna cotta or a piece of cantuccini cake may also enter the picture, depending on the season.
Wine Pairings & Aperitivo Culture
Florence is about drinking as well as eating. Numerous tours take little breaks during wine tastings; they may stop and spend some time on a glass of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, or a thirst-quenching Vernaccia di San Gimignano. These drinks are often served with a sparkling Prosecco or a light Aperol Spritz, and these are the flavors of Tuscany and the importance of the aperitivo hour, a time to drink and enjoy the company.
Hidden Gems & Local Favorites
On top of the staples, however, unexpected surprises are an undeniable part of most tours as well ( Hotel ricotta and honey, accompanied by local honey, fried zucchini flowers, or even unique regional salt and oils ). You may encounter a third-generation-bldy owner or small batch olive oil producer whose love is in every bite. These local finds give you realness to your trip.
Turning Tastes into Lasting Memories
What can be described as a food tour of Florence, Italy, is not a buffet. It is a cultural, artisanal, and historical experience. The actual process of finding out where dishes are made, why they are made, and how they are made makes you relate to the region of Tuscany. It all depends on whether you are serving up your own gelato or cutting your own prosciutto, but there is a story behind every bite.
Book Your Food Adventures with Spur Experiences
Food tours in Florence are the best option to get during your travel or as a gift. Spur Experiences has a collection of thousands of food and cultural experiences across the globe, with the finest Florence food tours. They are simple to add to a travel registry or to give to friends who enjoy food in their pages.
Make Florence taste your own with Spur Experiences your accomplice when you are the person who actually eats to explore. When you go on your food tours in Florence, Italy, you are not eating food, but you are eating history, seasonal, and passion. These are the meals, be it crunchy snacks on the streets or fat sweets, which have centuries of tradition handed down to generations and artisans. Ramble then through all those picturesque lanes with an appetite, and make every mouthful a step into the very centre of Florence.
- What Types of Food Will I Get to Try on a Florence Food Tour?
- Whether soups to desserts, beefy warming staples to sweet indulgences, these are just some of the delectable delicacies you will have on a guided culinary tour of Florence.
- Florence Food Tour
