Tuscan Street Food You Must Try Before You Die
We’re all familiar with the classic Italian dishes, but Tuscany has so much more to offer than pizza and pasta. In fact, you can find traditional Tuscan street food in every marketplace and on practically every street in Tuscany. Tuscan street food is a true reflection of the tastes of local people and makes for an authentic culinary experience!
Bombolone
Bombolone (bombóloni) is a small Italian doughnut, that is typically filled with pastry cream, custard or gelato. It may be rolled in sugar and it will typically have a glaze on top. It's the type of doughnut that you might fill with your favorite filling.
Bombolone has a long history in Italy. The first bomboloni was made near Milan during the 16th century. They became popular throughout Italy as traveling salesmen would often sell them from carts along with other sweets of the time.
The name bombolone translates to "big bomb" in English but refers to the shape rather than its size. They may be fried or baked and they can be purchased ready made or made at home using homemade doughnuts recipes.
Bombolone do not often have a hole in the center and are small enough to fit in one hand without making a mess like other large doughnuts might.
Necci
Necci is a typical Roman dish with a very ancient tradition, dating back to the end of the 19th century.
It is made using buckwheat flour and water, cooked in a copper pan until it becomes a sort of pancake filled with ricotta cheese, which can then be served with jam, honey or sugar.
The best place to taste Necci is at the historic bar in Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice, just outside the Porta Portese market.
Torta di ceci
Ceci/chickpeas are so used as a main ingredient in Italian cuisine.
They have a creamy, starchy texture when processed into a purée, which makes them ideal as the base of dips, spreads and fillings.
Torta di ceci (pronounced tort-AH deh cheh-chee) is a traditional dish from Tuscany. It’s like an elaborate chickpea pancake with a crisp exterior and a soft filling, typically stuffed with pasta and meat. The ingredients are usually pantry staples, so the dish can be easily made on the fly with whatever you happen to have on hand.
Lampredotto
Lampredotto is a typical Florentine dish.
It is made from the fourth and final stomach of a cow and requires several hours of boiling to become tender. Once boiled, the lampredotto is cut into thin slices and served on a sandwich (called a lampredotto panino) with salsa verde (a parsley, garlic, and anchovy-based sauce).
Lampredotto was originally eaten by the poor citizens of Florence as it was considered a cheap cut of meat, but has since become a popular dish among all people.
