By Ari Kane, Photographs by Daniella Veras

The Florence Food Tour was a great tour that really gives you a sense of the cuisine of Florence while simultaneously enlightening you and stuffing you to the gills. Benedetta was our born and raised local tour guide. She gave us a very interesting and educational tour.

Stop one was Cafecito time. Chiaro Scuro is known as one of the best espresso bars in Florence. Chiaro has an eclectic spectrum of exotic coffee beans. This Italians use a percolator at home, they call it a Moka. Espresso machines were created in Italy and the name as it implied is based on the fact that it comes out quite swiftly. Italy is known as the best bean roaster in the world so beans are actually shipped here just to be roasted. The typical espresso blend is 80% Arabica bean and 20% Robusta bean.

Kopi luwak is recognized as the best coffee in the world. A special animal in Indonesia eats the coffee bean berries and then they shit out the beans which are used for this “special” coffee. A tiny espresso goes for around 10 euros but we received a half price local discount so it wasn’t that much more expensive than Starbucks. We obviously had to sample the “best coffee” in the world so we obliged. It had a very strange and different taste but I guess that comes along with the animal shitting the bean out process. It kind of did taste like an animal ass but it left a very cool film on the roof of your mouth. It was not our cup of tea but it was definitely worth the experience.

Stop two was a gorgeous truffle shop on Florence’s high end fashion street called Procacci. This quaint refined shop possessed a decor and furniture dating back to the 1800’s and is devoted to the exquisite truffle. They serve these tiny hot dog bun truffle sandwiches with a cream that has a secret recipe. It was pretty good, but we had wished the bun had been toasted.

Stop three was La Divina Enoteca nearby San Lorenzo market. It is a popular wine shop from 1895 that carries mainly boutique producers. The products from the boutique vineyards have much more love and quality control instilled in them than the mass producers. The shop also serves small tapas style plates and even produces its own IPA beer. We sampled a white and nice red with some prosciutto and fennel salami. The shop owner Livio was sweet, knowledgeable and a gracious host.

Stop four was Mercadito Centrale, the covered market place. While the initial market smell was fairly vile the food was quite enticing. We received an introductory lesson on Florentine fare. We sampled the Tuscan staple bread called schiacciata that is thinner than focaccia and baked with extra virgin olive oil and salt. This is the only salted bread of Tuscany and it is truly fabulous.

 

There was a crazy line at the famous Nerbone that has been slinging its glorious sandwiches since 1872. We sampled the Ribolita which is the famous food of the peasants. Its origin was the leftovers from the lavish aristocratic parties of the past that the chefs took home and cooked for the starving poor. The Ribolita was then re-boiled the next day as well because you know people were starving at the hands of the affluent. The dish was flavorful and felt like old school comfort food. Unfortunately, we were not able to try the famous boiled beef sandwich but it looked well worth standing in line for.

We also tried the pure and sublime extra virgin olive oil Italy is so famous for. We sampled a Tuscan brand and the famous Garda brand. The Tuscan is made with smaller, younger oil and has way more flavor. Next up was a cheese and balsamic vinegar tasting that featured Parma and pecorino. Balsamic vinegar is changed in barrels multiple times. The more times it is changed the thicker and sweeter it is. We also had prosciutto Toscano with medium bodied wine and then some solid cantucci (biscotti) with dessert wine. It was a very filling and scrumptious tasting affair.

 The final stop was for Gelato and even though we were stuffed there is always room for gelato. Antica Gelateria Fiorentina makes handmade gelato in the back of its store. The store has a multitude of sizes ranging from 1-5 euros which is a great bargain.  We had the chocolate hazelnut and the talentissimo and both were good.

The Florence Food Tour was a very educational tour that will make even starving backpackers super full. It is a great way to experience some of the best and staple foods of Florence.