One of the most sought after and flavourful mushrooms are quite fickle and require specific growing conditions; lucky for the Garfagnana, their conditions are naturally perfect for porcini mushrooms and they grow prevalently throughout the hills. Every year the porcini mushrooms are foraged and picked to be enjoyed fresh in the immediate area or dried then shipped around the world. These fungi add a wonderful perfume and delicate but distinct flavour to many dishes.

Honey has been around … forever and has distinct differences based on where it has been produced and from which pants the bees receive the nectar. In the Garfagnana there is an incredible array of natural plant life but the two most common include Chestnut and Acacia. Both of these trees produce white blossoms during the spring months, but the product of their nectar produces honey with completely different characteristics.

Acacia Honey, made from the Acacia tree’s white blossoms, has a light, relatively clear, yellow orange colour and the soft, pleasant flavour of flowers and vanilla. It is very precious and sought after for its delicacy and resistance to crystallization. In comparison, the region’s Chestnut Honey is wonderful and delicious but in different ways. It has a deep amber colour and is more or less opaque, stronger on the nose and palate and, as a result of its high viscosity,  has the tendency to crystallize more quickly. Like the rest of the world that produces honey, the process remains natural; the honey produced in the Garfagnana has become a greatly sought after and is known as a honey of the highest quality. This wonderful product can be greatly enjoyed with aged cheeses like pecorino and parmesan.

As previously mentioned, the hills of the Garfagnana are 60 percent covered with thick forests. Well, a great percentage of those trees are Chestnut. The ancient inhabitants found an incredible array of uses for this nut, and even found a way to utilize it as a flour- adding rich and tasty nutty hints to many dishes. Chestnut Flour has become controlled with the prestigious DOP label. With this flour a typically Garfagnana desert is made, called Castagnaccio. Legends say that if this specific cake is made by a young woman in love, the man she serves it to will fall immediately in love and ask her to marry him.

This grain, spelt in English, can be found covering much of the land of the Garfagnana and is used both hot and cold, in main dishes and as a side. One classic soup that has been recorded since the centuries BC is called ‘Zuppa di Farro’ and is a tomato based soup that utilizes this hearty grain as well as the incredibly flavourful olive oil that is produced in the nearby hills of Lucca. Farro has been given its own seal of approval, so when you see the IGT brad, the grain you are munching is from Garfagnana.

There is a great reason that Tuscany is known for its olive oil and if you have never tasted real, fresh pressed, new olive oil… well, your first stop when landing in Tuscany should be to find some! The difference between fresh extra virgin olive oil and its more aged, mass produced version really is incredible.

The cultivation of olive oil is one of the oldest traditions in Italy and was so precious that the Etruscans and Romans used it as currency. In fact, during the first Olympic games, it was given as a prize to the winner. Olive oil is cultivated all over Tuscany during the very last weeks of September, bottled and available to be purchased during the beginning of November. The most bold flavors occur just after bottling and gently soften with age. Similarly, the first months after bottling show an incredibly bright green product with delicious and varying characteristics based on things like the area its grown, the olive that is utilized and the weather of the growing season. It slowly becomes more dark yellow and clear through the aging process.

Tuscan olive oil can be tasted in much the same way a good wine is tested- ultimately the decision is based on personal preference, but there are some guidelines to help you find an olive oil of high quality. When browsing through a market, any good olive oil vendor will allow you to try their product prior to purchasing. This means they’ll pour a few drops onto a spoon, you can smell, and then taste a few different varieties to figure out which one you like the most. Tuscan olive oil is characterized as having a long, developing and lingering mouth taste with strong and balanced hints of flowers and green plants. It is full bodied on the nose, initially sweet and herbaceous but has a very soft and light second layer of cayenne spice a few seconds later. (Note: spice is one flavour component that varies the most between different producers and vintages).

Tuscany prides its self on its production of olive oil and in order to be considered DOP or IGT there are very strict guidelines that need to be followed. It is possible to find wonderful olive oil that does not have this denomination, but if the oil has it, you can be sure it will be wonderful. Having said that, finding your favourite olive oil is a very personal conquest. There are many different flavour profiles and variations in flavour balance based on countless factors. Only by tasting will you know which olive oil is perfect for you!