Discover
Food Experience
Tasty itineraries and unique gastronomic experiences in the beautiful Tuscan territory
Tuscany is the destination par excellence for eating well and discovering a varied cuisine, rich in history, traditions and unique flavours.
Choose to spend your holiday in our 4-stars hotel in Versilia and make your holiday a special food and wine experience!
Good foods from the sea and the mountains
Versilia, caressed by the sea and embraced by the Apuan Alps, offers a great variety of recipes from the sea, the lake, the hills and the mountains to delight every palate. Cuttlefish and chard risotto, the famous cacciucco (fish stew) or the classic tordelli, homemade pasta stuffed with meat, beet, chilli and spices, the classic scarpaccia camaiorese, a typical savoury pie with courgettes and onions, not to mention the Tuscan ribollita, soup made of stale bread and vegetables.
In the Viareggio area, you really have to taste sparnocchi ai fagioli, king prawns served with haricot beans.
These are just some of the dishes we recommend you try.
Pork butchery tradition and fine meats
When we think of Tuscany, the first thing that comes to mind is the tastiness of its meat and of its cured meats. The territory is, in fact, full of farms and pork butchers that offer delicious meats such as lardo di Colonnata (a type of cold cut ), finocchiona (a type of salami), mortadella di Gombitelli (which is actually a salami!), and biroldo (salami) or sanguinaccio della Garfagnana, a sausage made of parts left over from pork processing. Last but not least, the excellent products from the butcher’s shop: the succulent Florentine steak, livers, Cinta Senese meats, tripe and the lampredotto, tasty offal from the stomach of a cow.
Ask us for information on the best restaurants to eat at in Versilia and we will recommend excellent typical meat, fish and even vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
Do you want to receive the recipes of Versilia?
Sweet foods
Those with a sweet tooth will also be satisfied! We recommend trying the famous Ricciarelli and Panforte di Siena, the delicious schiacciata all’uva, castagnaccio and the special torta co’ bischeri o co’ i becchi, known for its upturned tips of pastry and its filling that can be with herbs and raisins or custard and rice, depending on the area in which you eat it. And when you visit Lucca, you must try its typical Buccellato.
Tuscan bread
One of the simplest and most extraordinary things you will find in these areas is the bread!
Acknowledged with the protected designation of origin label, Tuscan bread is a combination of history and flavour. It is still prepared using the biga pre-fermentation method, with slow leavening and without the addition of salt, they call it pane sciocco (silly bread) here. It is typical in Altopascio, the city of hospitality and transit for pilgrims traveling along the Via Francigena.
… not just wine!
Also mentioned by the italian musician, Ivan Graziani, in one of his songs, spuma bionda (blonde foam) is a contender against wine as the Tuscan people’s favourite drink. It is non-alcoholic and is made of a mixture of carbonated water, sugar and aromas. In 2001, it was described as the official drink of the Viareggio Carnival. You can find it in any bar or restaurant and if you ask for its mezza e mezza (half and half), they serve it to you mixed with red wine.
Remember that we also offer you a special food experience at Hotel Europa: every morning with our breakfast!
