The traditional food of Cortona and Tuscany is based on rustic cooking that leans heavily on olive oil, tomatoes, beans, hams and vegetables
Cibo delizioso
One of the most famous meat dishes is bistecca alla fiorentina - steak grilled over charcoal, usually served rare. It is from the Val di Chiana area that the beef for true Florentine bistecca comes
It is perhaps a surprise that, however hard you look, the white Chianina cattle are not often seen ranging free. Many are raised in barns for much of the time
Another Tuscan specialty is porchetta - wood-oven roasted young pork
Dishes with wild boar (Cinghiale) are also popular
Common appetizers or snacks are crostini or bruschetta. Crostini are rounds of toast topped with anchovy, olive, liver or tomato paste. Bruschetta is made of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Other toppings may be added
There are hundreds of varieties of pasta dishes in Italy -- different in the shape,size, consistency of the pasta used, and the sauces and ingredients with which it is cooked or served. Tagliatelli with porcini mushrooms, Pici with meat sauce, and Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach, are often found in this part of Tuscany. Spinach is a common vegetable
It is hard not to get a well-made and delicious pizza in the area. A number of restaurants have a pizza-oven, and serve pizza as part of their menu. It is worth remembering, though, that most do not serve pizza at lunchtime because they do not light their ovens until the evening
There are many good restaurants in and around Cortona. One we like to eat at in the centre is La Grotta. You usually need to book beforehand if you want to eat in the courtyard outside
A good restaurant with a large garden for outside eating lies on the road out of Camucia. It is called Bastian Contrario. It is very child-friendly and has a pizza oven in the evenings
