Everyone knows that the culinary tradition is part of Italian culture, a real religion that the inhabitants of each region interpret in a unique way through their local specialities.
The soul of Tuscany and especially Florence is represented by a famous dish cooked with passion ad enthusiasm which you will absolutely need to taste in occasion of your visit: we are talking about the inimitable "Bistecca alla Fiorentina".
The roots of this food delight are found in the Renaissance, specifically during Saint Lawrence celebrations in the 16th century. This Saint is still commemorated every August 10th, as he was a famous martyr who died in Rome in 258 getting grilled on a gridiron, particularly venerated in Central Italy.
At that time, the occasions allowing to poor people to access precious beef meats were rare, as they were reserved to the rich. Common people could only eat cheaper meats such as poultry, along with vegetables and offal, which led to found the great Florentine tradition of Trippa or Lampredotto. Since 1500, however, Saint Lawrence celebration started to be marked out by the preparation of enormous quantities of beef meat grilled on charcoal fire, which was then distributed to the people for free, thanks to the patronage of Medici family.
Dozens of whole beef loins called “Gran Pezzo” were grilled on embers and were later cut in slices after the cooking. Among the enthusiastic people devouring these culinary wonders, an anecdote tells that there was a group of English merchants who started to shout “beef steak, beef steak!" out loud, to express all their joy end pleasure. Apparently, this fact impressed Florentines as the word the merchants kept screaming entered Italian getting adapted into “bistecca”.
In the following centuries, the preparation of this meat changed until transforming into the current Bistecca, as we prepare it today. The tradition expects the cooking of a Chianina, Maremmana or Romagnola beef loin, aged between 12 and 24 months and hung for one week. Its cut must contain bone, tenderloin and sirloin, it must be at least three inches high (as in Florence they say that "a steak less than three inches high is carpaccio”) and weighing more than 1Kg. It has to be exclusively cooked on burning embers deriving from oak, olive or holm wood and, once it is ready, the meat needs to be flavoured with salt, pepper and Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
At that point, all you need to do is enjoying this pure piece of food poetry.
Try this local delight in one of Florence's best restaurants! Florentines suggest booking a table at “Il Latini” (in Via dei Palchetti), at “Buca Lapi” (in Via Tornabuoni) or at “Trattoria Da Burde” (in Via Pistoiese) to get the most out of your experience in this Tuscan town.
If you are looking for a holiday rental, we recommend booking our Villa Tenuta Lonciano on top of the wonderful hills surrounding Florence.
