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| Tuscan Archipelago >> Typical products |
 The
cuisine of the Tuscan islands is the typical Mediterranean cuisine
and offers simple but exquisite dishes, using few ingredients
and not very elaborated. The dishes are based on fish and shellfish
of course, with spices from the Mediterranean bush and should
be served with the great local wine. The cuisine of the island
is basically this, but historical events of each village have
left traces in the kitchen. For example, the cuisine of Rio
nell'Elba has oriental influences. The Saracen pirates brought
tastes and spices in change of barbarism and sacks. One typical
recipe is the "schiaccia briaca", a delicious sweet bread, prepared
with ingredients from the Middle East, such as the sultana raisin,
and other ingredients which have been added during the centuries.
Today the "sciaccia briaca" is made with aleatic wine, sugar
and nuts, a variant which was introduced during the 19th century
to make it more pleasant for the refined taste of the landlords,
who could afford to use rare and expensive products. |
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Spaniards and Napoleon's soldiers in the garrisons on the south-east
part of the island showed the islanders the secrets of their
kitchen and the Spanish influence can be noticed in dishes such
as stoccafisso alla riese (dry cod), gurguglione (vegetables)
and sburrita (cod). The cuisine in the villages close to the
sea and those in the mountain used to be very different from
each other, but today they tend to be mixed and more or less
the same. The people in the mountain villages were specialised
in bread and sweets while the inhabitants in the sea villages
learnt to make delicious fish dishes. Today you are able to
taste other specialities from the different Italian regions,
but you better try the local cuisine in order to enter the atmosphere
of these places. A plate of cacciucco (fish soup) turns back
time as the legend tells that this fish and tomato soup was
the only thing that could make Napoleon forget his worries,
When he stuffed himself with the soup he managed to forget his
imperial problems. Do not hesitate if you find the imbollita,
which is a focaccina bread filled with figs with old traditions,
and the sportella, which is a bread with aniseed which the fiancées
used to give to each other for Easter as a fertility sign. |
Photos from Pierangela Pellizza Piras. |
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