Tuscan Diet - Dairy

Tuscany produces a wonderful array of cheeses, so there is no doubt that like all of the other elements of their diet, Tuscans take their dairy seriously.

A light supper of pecorino cheese, multicereale bread,
cinghiale sausage and walnuts

Many cheeses in Tuscany are made from sheep or goat's milk, such as caprino, and my personal favorite, pecorino.  Fresh ricotta can be made with sheep, goat or cow milk and is delightfully smooth and creamy.  Other typical Tuscan produced cheeses include raviggiolo (a soft, fresh cheese) and caciotta (a soft crust cheese).

A wonderful etruscan pecorino

Of course another very famous dairy concoction that can be found in Tuscany is gelato!  Gelato was created by Bernardo Buontalenti, a Florentine cook who created the delicious dessert for Catherine de'Medici....and the rest is history!  Florence has tons of gelaterie (gelato shops) serving up mounds of creamy gelato year-round.  Gelato is similar to ice cream found in the US, but believe me...gelato is much better!  It's wonderful dense creaminess is due to it being churned at a slower pace, which causes less air to be incorporated into the dessert.  It also has less fat in it than US ice cream, which helps to intensify the flavor and not coat the mouth like ice cream does.

Caffè (coffee) , fiordilatte (a plain "flower of milk" flavor),
and nocciola (hazelnut) gelato at GROM in Florence

As wonderful as their cheese and gelato are, dairy is much more minor element in the Tuscan diet.  Personally, we enjoy an occasional glass of milk and yogurt (Italian yogurt is fabulous!), but for the most part, a very small percentage of our diet consists of dairy products.  Olive oil is preferred over butter, and we don't use a lot of cream in our recipes like some other folks do, simply because we prefer to eat in a more health-conscious way.  

A variety of Italian  yogurt

Occasionally we will make what Simone calls a "cake" with yogurt.  Simone created the recipe and it's very simple.  He lines a casserole dish with savoiardi biscuits (ladyfinger cookies) and then spoons a layer of yogurt on top.  He keeps layering the cookies and yogurt until it is almost to the top of the dish, then he places it into the refrigerator overnight.  By the time morning arrives, the yogurt has softened the crisp svoiardi and he spoons it up to serve.  We eat it for breakfast occasionally or as a dessert.  You can make it with whatever flavor of yogurt you prefer, or do like Simone does sometimes and use a different flavor for each layer. 

The Tuscan Diet - Olive Oil

Quite possibly the most essential element in Tuscan cooking is extra-virgin olive oil.

Olives growing in Tuscany, ready for harvest

Olive oil is super good for you.  There have been several clinical trials that have shown that adding olive oil to your diet may actually lower your cholesterol levels and therefore, may help lower the risk for coronary heart disease.  Other clinical trials claim that olive oil can help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.  Olive oil even has anti-inflammatory properties in it!  So why wouldn't you want to add it into your diet?

A tasting station for olive oil at Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti

Besides all of the health benefits, olive oil tastes amazing. A good olive oil will add fantastic flavor to your foods.  The region where the olives grow, type of olive, ripeness, and several other factors can effect the flavor of the oil.  The color of the oil can range from a greenish to a yellow-green color.

If you are in the US, you need to be aware that the US government has refused to adopt the International Olive Oil Council standards, so just because the bottle might say "extra-virgin", doesn't mean it actually contains extra-virgin olive oil.  To be completely certain that what you're buying is extra-virgin olive oil, look on the label for a COOC label (California Olive Oil Council), which has adopted the IOOC's standards.  If it is an imported Italian olive oil, look for the initials DOP (or DPO), which stands for Denominazione d'Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin).  This provides assurance of the quality of the oil.

Cold pressed olive oil means pretty much exactly what it sounds like:  during the pressing of the olives to extract the oil, no heat was used.  This is a good thing, because it preserves the nutrients in the oil.

Flavored olive oils can be an interesting thing
to try out.  This orange flavored oil is one that
we tasted in Chianti.

Olive oil should be stored away from light and heat.  Both light and heat can effect the flavor of the oil as well as causing it to spoil quicker than usual.  Keeping it in a pantry or cupboard away from the oven, or at least keep it further away from the stove.  Make sure that you use the oil within a month or two so that the nutrients are at their optimal levels, because they do drop over time.

Tuscans use olive oil on just about everything.  (We go through a bottle of olive oil every week and a half or so!)  They will put it on salads, bread, soup, pasta, meat...you name it.  As a matter of fact, a super easy way to make garlic bread is the way they do it in Italy.  Simply take a piece of bread (preferably Tuscan read), toast it, then take a clove of garlic and rub it vigorously on both sides of the toasted bread.  Then drizzle a little olive oil on the top.  Buono!  Less work and better for you nutritionally!

The Tuscan Diet - Introduction

It always surprised my friends to here me say that I lost weight whenever I would go to Italy.  "How is that even POSSIBLE??" some would say to me.

Really though, if you look at Italians in Italy, most of them are quite trim!  The lifestyle there includes a lot of outdoor activities and walking, there aren't fast food restaurants on every corner, and food is prepared with fresh and seasonal ingredients.

Fresh produce, olive oil and other tasty Tuscan foods
at the Mercato Centrale (Central Market) in Florence

I was introduced to Tuscan foods by Simone when I first set foot in Italy 3 years ago.  I really enjoyed the combination of flavors and the fact that everything was so FRESH.  I had heard before that the diet of Mediterranean countries is probably one of the most healthy diets in the world, but I never realized how delicious it could be!  I was a convert from the start...especially when I discovered how EASY it is to prepare!

I haven't bought pasta sauce in 3 years, since I found out
how easy it was to make my own!

Over the next few days, I will discuss the various elements that comprise the Tuscan diet.  These are all things that can be found anywhere and easily incorporated into your own diet, bringing a little bit of Tuscany into your own life!  Stay tuned!