The typical Tuscan cured meats: land of flavor and good food

The classic Tuscan cutting board features a wide variety of typical cured meats united by the flavor that goes well with "sciocco" bread and crostini.

One of the lands par excellence dense and rich in cured meats is undoubtedly Tuscany. So many flavors, so many tastes and so many types “chase each other” in this region. The Tuscan table is certainly one of the richest and most varied, able to range not only among cured meats but also among many other products. Products united by several elements that bring together not only the Tuscan doc, but also “foreigners,” tourists and those from other regions.

TASTE TASTES.

One element that brings the area’s palates together and that, in some way, unites most cured meats is definitely the fact that the products and flavors are savory. There is no shortage of salt, pepper and general spices as toppings for products. And here, for example, the distinction between sweet and salty ham becomes even more obvious. Just think of neighboring Emilia Romagna, which, compared to Tuscany, has less “assertive” tastes. In general, with the exception of some areas, Tuscan flavors are much stronger and “marked” also because they allow less “obvious” products to accompany, or rather be accompanied by.

WHAT TO ACCOMPANY THE COLD CUTS WITH?

The classic Tuscan cutting board, for example, features a variety of heterogeneous products, but they share a common flavor that goes well with either more delicate cheeses or, in most cases, with crostini or bland bread. The distinctly Tuscan characteristic of so-called silly bread is actually a plus point for tasting the cured meats, which can be perceived even more distinctly and attentively. There is no salt from the bread to “dirty” the flavor of the cured meat; in Tuscany, the bread’s only job is to accompany the food, in this case the cured meat.

A WIDE VARIETY

And there are so many cold cuts to go with them!

From shoulder to thigh (slice or heart), bacon to capocollo, via cheek, lard, peposo, salami, salamino, sbriciolona, spicy sausage and
Finocchiona IGP
.

Speaking of the latter, fennel also becomes a “key” element in Tuscan tradition, to such an extent that it is an integral part of a salume that owes its name to this very plant. Used almost like a spice, fennel almost goes to replace salt, pepper and the like in the “seasoning” of the sausage in question. And it all stems from the past and ancient traditions. It was first used to try to curb the flavor of low-quality wines. Since fennel has a very pronounced flavor, it was used to overpower that of the wine that accompanied the meal, but which was not “up to par.” From there its use continued and continues to this day with the making of the so-called finocchiona.

Finocchiona, which, along with seasoned shoulders, is one of the top products of the Tuscan territory.

Where to buy Tuscan cured meats?

You will be able to find numerous workshops or delicatessens scattered throughout Tuscany. However, if you are passing through Prato, come visit us. Live you will be able to see and choose the Tuscan charcuterie you like best. Happy to Welcome You!