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Food and wine
It is very difficult to be disappointed by Tuscan cuisine, especially that of the lands of Siena: the raw materials, resulting from the tradition and “poor” recipes, are the real proof of this.
The traditional dish of Chianciano Terme is pici. A type of fresh hand-rolled pasta similar to large spaghetti. The dough consists of only flour, water and a pinch of salt. The recipe is traditional has very ancient origins, once constituting the typical “poor” inexpensive dish but still continues to be a sought-after and appreciated meal even in high-end restaurants.
Pici has a number of classic seasonings and sauces that enhance its texture. In the beginning there were “crumbs” of stale bread sautéed in olive oil, this way of eating pici existed even before the import of tomatoes and was also useful when you wanted to reuse dry bread. The traditional seasoning is meat sauce or Val di Chiana aglione with tomato and garlic.
If we think of main courses, then we think of meat. A journey into taste that can only begin with the Cinta Senese DOP (Protected Designation of Origin). What was virtually an extinct breed only a few decades ago has instead been rescued and is now widely used. With the meat of the Cinta Senese, tasty cured meats are produced: from Prosciutto di Cinta, to salami and sausages, but also the prized lardo and capocollo; real delicacies for the palate. Prosciutto di cinta senese, to name one of the most popular cured meats among gourmets, is produced in Siena and throughout the province, has a bright red meat tending to dark and a very low percentage of subcutaneous fat of a color tending to white, with slight pinkish veins. Its very intense taste is slightly stronger than that of a “regular” Tuscan ham. But if you find yourself in one of the many butcher shops in the area, or in the taverns, we advice you to try also buristo and soppressata, two really “special” and tasty cured meats, and to have also fegatelli, a very old dish of the local cuisine.
And then her majesty the Chianina. It was precisely the Sienese Valdichiana, the town of Bettolle (Sinalunga) that gave birth in 1869 – while Chianina cows apparently were bred in that valley between Arezzo and Orvieto for 2,500 years – to Ezio Marchi, a veterinarian, who is now rightly considered unanimously the father of the modern Chianina. In fact, the flavor of the meat we enjoy at the table today is due to its scientific breed selection studies. Among the protected cattle breeds of the Vitellone Bianco dell’Appennino Centrale IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), the Chianina is the one that boasts the most noble and famous image, thanks to the fame it has been able to win with the gastronomic myth of the “fiorentina” steak. Tripe is made from the offal of veal (Chianina and non-Chianina), which ends up on the plate to offer diners a unique, extremely flavorful and traditional taste, like, precisely, tripe alla senese.
“It is especially delicate and good.” This was how Pope Pius II, the pontiff of Pienza stated it in the 15th century in his Commentarii. An ante litteram review we might say today. But that of Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, after tasting the “cacio di Chiusure” one of the delicious cheeses made of sheep’s milk cheese from Crete and the province of Siena, certainly remains a prestigious certificate that testifies to the tradition, quality, and knowledge, of a product that has made the history of agribusiness production and a product that cannot be missed in restaurants and on everyday tables.
New oil is an event for families and tourists alike; from October to December, there is first the olive harvest then the mills in production, to obtain this excellence of the Siena lands. A true and unfailing protagonist of the table: for a “simple” yet very tasty bruschetta with freshly pressed new oil, or on top of the many meat dishes of the Sienese tradition, to enhance its flavors, as well as in fish dishes. Oils that are not all the same, although they share a well-defined character: sensations of the fruitiness of artichoke, fresh grass or almond are accompanied by the typical notes of bitterness and spiciness that make it assertive but well balanced.
In addition to the excellent traditional productions, the myriad of small farms and even hobbyists that produce quality extra virgin olive oil, there is no shortage of certifications for oil in the province of Siena. There are two PDOs (Protected Designation of Origin) and one PGI (Protected Geographical Indication): the Terre di Siena PDO and the Chianti Classico PDO, and the Toscano PGI.
A territory of vineyards and great labels appreciated worldwide, Siena is a province that has wine production of the highest quality in its DNA, in the history written by the men and women who over the centuries have “refined” knowledge, techniques, with farsighted vision, innovation and the local territories’ promotion. The five DOCGs (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin) and numerous DOCs (Controlled Designation of Origin) present in the province of Siena are no coincidence: there is practically no strip of land that is not “certified” starting from the Chianti Classico, via San Gimignano, to Montalcino and nearby Montepulciano. Names of historic towns that owe part of their international fame to the main product they produce. Brunello, Nobile, Chianti Classico and Vernaccia are the assets that few other territories can boast; to which must be added the rampant productions of Chianti Colli Senesi, Orcia and the Grance Senesi; we shall not forget the important red wines, from the Rosso di Montalcino and Montepulciano, the vinsants, the wine production of Valdarbia and Valdichiana.
And to finish off with a striking dessert, beautiful to look at good to eat. The Chianciano Cake, a pastry shell enclosing a sponge cake wetted with Chianciano bitters and custard.
Amaro Santoni is a premium liqueur made from 34 botanicals, inspired by one of Gabriello Santoni's most intimate and personal recipes, created in 1961. This product is crafted exclusively through the infusion of natural ingredients.