Share
Digg
RSS
Tuscany+
Where to sleep
Weather
Trips&Vacations
Mobile App
Talk to Tuscany
Multimedia
DOCUMENT CENTER
Typical Sienese cooking includes many classic Tuscan dishes such as ribollita vegetable soup, roast meat and beans. However, it often differs from these more classic Tuscan recipes by using more garlic and aromatic herbs like mint. The most typical kind of pasta found in Siena is ‘pici’. It’s similar to spaghetti although the pieces are stretched by hand to reach a length of up to 3 metres. The more modern recipes include eggs in the ingredients although traditionally this peasant dish was made simply with flour and water. This kind of pasta is usually served with a meat sauce (wild duck for example) or with a simple tomato and garlic sauce (called ‘pici all’aglione’).
Among the many types of cold cuts produced in the Siena region, the most famous are the Cinta Senese prosciutto and salami. The breed of pig used to make this salami gets its name for the white strip that runs along the top of its body. It’s an ancient, rustic breed of pig (it was bred as far back as the medieval era) which is traditionally reared in its most natural wild state. An organization exists to protect and conserve this special race of pig called the ‘Consorzio della Compagnia della Cinta Senese’.
Siena is also very famous for its cheeses, in particular the marzolino, a soft sheep’s cheese caciotta, and Crete Senese pecorino, both of which are produced in a landscape which has scarse vegetation but is thick with aromatic herbs. These add a good deal of flavour to the cheeses. Absolutely no probiotics are added to the cheeses while they are being made which also adds to their 100% natural delicious flavour. Visitors wishing to pick out a wine to accompany their meal in Siena are quite spoilt for choice. In the Siena region around 750000 hectolitres are produced, mostly being one of the 5 DOCG wines (Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti Docg and Vernaccia di San Gimignano) or of the 12 DOC wines also produced here.
Among the many types of cold cuts produced in the Siena region, the most famous are the Cinta Senese prosciutto and salami. The breed of pig used to make this salami gets its name for the white strip that runs along the top of its body. It’s an ancient, rustic breed of pig (it was bred as far back as the medieval era) which is traditionally reared in its most natural wild state. An organization exists to protect and conserve this special race of pig called the ‘Consorzio della Compagnia della Cinta Senese’.
Siena is also very famous for its cheeses, in particular the marzolino, a soft sheep’s cheese caciotta, and Crete Senese pecorino, both of which are produced in a landscape which has scarse vegetation but is thick with aromatic herbs. These add a good deal of flavour to the cheeses. Absolutely no probiotics are added to the cheeses while they are being made which also adds to their 100% natural delicious flavour. Visitors wishing to pick out a wine to accompany their meal in Siena are quite spoilt for choice. In the Siena region around 750000 hectolitres are produced, mostly being one of the 5 DOCG wines (Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti Docg and Vernaccia di San Gimignano) or of the 12 DOC wines also produced here.
