| When one has not had the chance to eat enough | | | | to soak in water and then squeezed, fresh tomatoes, |
| there is only one possibility, to develop the talent to | | | | freshly sliced onion, fresh basil leaves, olive oil and salt. |
| create new dishes with food scraps, and this in the | | | | This recipe is still served this way, although someone |
| Chianti of the past happened to the extent of almost | | | | may add some extra vegetable, perhaps making a |
| becoming an art. In this way poor people solved two | | | | statement on the improved conditions of Chianti, now |
| issues, using up till the last crumb what had been | | | | for many decades out of poverty and famish. |
| obtained with the bitter sweat of their forehead, and | | | | Bread is the basis of all these dishes. It must be |
| doing something to please God who would not tolerate | | | | Tuscan bread, the one prepared without salt, because |
| food waste of any kind, since he would donate it | | | | salt used to be more precious than gold. This bread |
| through nature. Therefore food was a gift from God | | | | can be oblong, round, thin or thick, baked in wood |
| himself. | | | | ovens when available, always crunchy, and probably |
| In other words, the chef and source of creative | | | | better tasted the next day. After the fragrance of the |
| inspiration behind the whole Chianti cooking, which has | | | | freshly baked loaf is lost, the taste of the bread is |
| at its basis the virtue of necessity, is poverty. In the | | | | better, just like a great wine needs to sit in contact |
| Chianti too the cooking tradition follows the need to | | | | with air for sometime before being enjoyed and |
| combine a very limited budget with the natural search | | | | displaying it's full body. |
| for recipes that satisfy the senses and the soul. | | | | Again, one finds bread as the main ingredient of |
| Nowadays things are radically different, but is still alive | | | | 'bruschetta'. The slice is toasted on live charcoals and |
| the tradition of simple dishes. Traditional recipes are | | | | then scented while still warm with a gentle rub of a |
| carried out with great dignity by those who feel part of | | | | garlic clove. The final touch is a pinch of salt to taste |
| this fast changing society, but want to preserve this | | | | and a thrifty swirl of oil to exalt the taste of the |
| rich culinary heritage and culture of food, therefore also | | | | unsalted bread. This recipe is maybe the simplest in the |
| preserving their civilization, culture and traditions that so | | | | Chianti culinary tradition, nevertheless it constitutes a |
| distinguish Chianti in the world. Ideally, a menu created | | | | work of cooking art. |
| by Chianti people would include everlasting recipes | | | | Chianti cold cuts are a great company for the unsalted |
| such as vegetable soups, cooked at low heat for a | | | | bread. These sliced delicacies like raw ham, salami and |
| long time and created with chopped carrots, potatoes, | | | | sausages, are among the best in Italy. However, other |
| celery (or what is called the 'battutino'), and a lot of | | | | meat dishes are not a staple in the Chianti culinary |
| experience. There is a large plethora of soups that | | | | tradition, as meat in the past would be destined to the |
| share this base, but they all have their distinct | | | | richer people and noble families only. For this reason |
| personality and taste. The top of the chart is certainly | | | | there are not many meat recipes in Chianti cooking. |
| made by the well-known 'ribollita' bread soup, which | | | | Boar meat is something that one can find more often |
| eaten the day after its preparation constitutes an even | | | | when eating in Chianti, as boars would live in the wild |
| more exquisite delicacy. And how not to list the 'Pappa | | | | and be hunted by poorer peasants without owing any |
| Pomodoro', a bread and tomato sauce soup with its | | | | percentage to their landlords. Today the selection of |
| distinct taste of fresh basil, garlic and tomatoes. Getting | | | | meats is of course much larger, but the ways of |
| off the realm of soups and into a theme more attuned | | | | cooking it still remain the same ancient ones that |
| to summer, it is a must to mention 'panzanella'. This | | | | mostly employ grilling or baking with simple ingredients, |
| peasant recipe testifies towards what has been said | | | | a tradition that continues to satisfy neophytes and |
| until now, since the main ingredients are stale bread left | | | | experts of Chianti cooking alike. |