From Savory to Sweet: A Food Lover's Guide to Lucca's Top 14 Dishes
If you're planning to visit Lucca, Tuscany, you're in for a culinary treat. With its rich history and traditional cooking methods, Lucca boasts a wide range of delicious food options. Here are the top 14 foods to try in Lucca:
- Rovelline lucchesi - This traditional Tuscan dish consists of veal escalopes sautéed with tomato sauce, garlic, and capers. It's a delicious and hearty meal that's perfect for meat lovers.
- Frittata di vitalba - This springtime dish is a specialty of Garfagnana and is made with young clematis, eggs, garlic, and olive oil. It's a unique and flavorful dish that's perfect for breakfast or brunch.
- Matuffi - This old peasant dish is a layered polenta with mushrooms and sausages, flavored with bay leaves, red wine, and grated cheese. It's a robust and hearty meal that's perfect for cold winter nights.
- Pane Altopascio - This saltless bread from Tuscany is made from type 0 wheat flour, natural yeast, and water. It has a unique flavor and texture that's perfect for sandwiches or as a side with soup.
- Necci or chestnut crepes - Chestnuts have played a crucial role in the culinary traditions of the Appenine and Apuan regions in northern Tuscany for centuries. In times of war and famine, these nutritious nuts have been a lifeline, saving people from starvation. One delicious way that chestnuts are enjoyed is through a type of pancake called necci. These hearty pancakes are made from chestnut flour and are a popular dish in the region. Once the necci are browned on both sides, they can be spread with ricotta or Nutella and rolled up for a delicious treat. Instead of using a pan, the batter is sometimes placed on hot, flat stones covered with chestnut leaves. These stones are then stacked on top of each other to cook the necci.
- Pasimata - Pasimata is a sweet bread that is traditionally eaten on Easter Saturday. It takes two days to prepare, making it a true labor of love. This bread is flavored with raisins and aniseed, giving it a unique taste. If you visit Lucca during Holy Week or Easter celebrations, you'll be lucky enough to come across Pasimata.
- Garmugia - This delicious Tuscan soup is made with fresh spring vegetables like broad beans, fava beans, asparagus, spring onions, and artichokes. It's often prepared with the addition of ground veal and pancetta for a rich and hearty flavor.
- Buccellato di Lucca - This popular Tuscan ring shaped sweet bread is a specialty of Lucca and is filled with raisins and aniseed that dates back to the days of Ancient Rome. Its name comes from the Latin word "buccella" or bite, and it's traditionally eaten on Sundays. People used to collect the cake from the baker after mass and carry it home around their arm. Buccellato is temptingly soft and sweet, filled with raisins and aniseed. It's perfect for dunking in a glass of red wine or having with your morning coffee.
- Tortelli Lucchesi - This pasta dish is made with egg pasta stuffed with meat, cheese, and vegetables. It's often served with a rich tomato sauce and grated cheese.
- Torta d'erbi - Torta d'erbi or "Torta coi becchi" is a traditional pie made with shortcrust pastry and filled with green vegetables, raisins, and pine nuts. This savory pie is perfect for lunch or dinner and is nutritious and healthy.
- Cacciucco - This traditional Tuscan fish stew is made with a variety of fish, shellfish, and vegetables. It's often served with toasted bread and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Farinata - Farinata is a tasty flatbread that is a favorite among Italian kids. It's made with chickpea flour and olive oil, making it a healthy snack that you can eat at any time of the day. Farinata is said to have originated from Roman soldiers who cooked their chickpea mix on shields hot from the sun.
- Zuppa di farro - This hearty soup is made with farro (a type of ancient wheat), borlotti beans, and seasonal vegetables. It's a comforting and nutritious meal that's perfect for cold winter nights. Soup of Farro is a hearty soup made with borlotti beans and seasonal vegetables. It's a perfect lunch option that only needs a grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top and some freshly cooked crusty bread to make it a complete meal.
- Pollo al Mattone - This Tuscan grilled chicken is cooked under a brick, which helps to crisp the skin and keep the meat juicy. It's often flavored with rosemary, lemon, and garlic, and served with a side of roasted potatoes.
Looking for ways to walk off all of this delicious food? Here are the Top 14 Things to do in Lucca!
Want to explore Tuscany a bit more? Take a more indepth look at the links below
FLORENCE
All about Florence, Pisa and Lucca
The Top 10 Must Sees in Florence
The Florentine Sandwich Shop that Everyone Is Talking About
LUCCA
14 Delicious Things to Eat in Lucca
PISA
10 Delicious Things to Eat in Pisa
VOLTERRA