San Miniato is a “Slow Town” and is famous for its wines, extra-virgin olive oil, pork products and many other local agricultural products used by craftsmen in order to create high-quality products, which have become the basis of “Slow Food”.
In this period of globalisation, some towns have decided to form an organisation,where slowness and typical local food are symbols of a good and healthy lifestyle so the Slow Town Association has come to life.
San Miniato is famous for its truffles and the National White Truffle Exhibition, which has been held here in November for 46 years and is a market which attracts thousands of Italian and foreign visitors.
The white truffle of San Miniato is known as the “Food of Kings” and populates the tables of the best restaurants in the world. The white truffle found in San Miniato Hills is the “Tuber Magnatum Pico” and is the most valuable type of truffle.
San Miniato White truffle is a unique product. It features a light yellow colour with brown shades and it has a long-lasting delicious flavours. It is very expensive, because it is found in moderate quantities in particular periods of the year. You can find white truffles only from October to December.
Tuscany is famous for its top-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
You can have a tour in La Serra, a small village near San Miniato, in order to discover the secrets of extra-virgin olive oil production.
The well-known Frantoio Samminiatese is a pressing mill immersed in the Tuscan countryside and surrounded by lovely olive groves.
“Frantoio Samminiatese” has been producing extra-virgin olive oil for over 50 years and the owners are excellent at the art of pressing and growing olive trees.
Here you can taste “bruschetta” with extra-virgin olive oil and purchase a large variety of products such as aromatized olive oil, biological extra-virgin olive oil and “IGP Tuscan” extra-virgin olive oil.
If you want to buy local products, we suggest you visit the world-famous Mercatale in Piazza Dante Alighieri.Here the Slow Food Association and other associations organise a market , where consumers can buy local fresh products such as milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables directly from farmers and local producers.
This market is held in this square on Sunday once a month. The famous Mercatale is part of a project called “filiera corta” (“short distribution chain”), a regional network for the promotion of fresh agricultural products in Tuscany.
During our walking tour we stopped at Retrobottega for lunch. Here you can taste typical Tuscan food created by the famous butcher Sergio Falaschi, his son, Andrea, and their staff by using high-quality local products and enjoy a wonderful view of the countryside.
We suggest you have “crostini” and a selection of “salumi” (cold cuts) such as “sopressata”, ham, “rigatino”, “finocchiona”, “spuma di gota”, “mallegato”, pasta with sausage and leek sauce, “pappa al pomodoro”, Florentine steak with grated truffles and “Cantuccini” with “Vin Santo”.
San Miniato is famous for Spuma di Gota, Sopressata and Mallegato, created by the famous butcher Sergio Falaschi and his staff, who have just opened a restaurant behind the butcher’s shop.
Mallegato
Mallegato made by using pig blood and fat, nutmeg, cinnamon, pine nuts, raisins and other spices. This mixt boiled and packed inside a casing. When it is cold, it is sliced and eaten as a starter.
Spuma di Gota
Spuma di Gota is made by flavouring pig cheeks and chopping them until they become soft. It is ideal on hot toasted bread as starter.
Sopressata
Sopressata made by boiling pig’s head cheek, tongue and skin. All the laced ingredients are cut in small pieces. The mixture is, then, placed in a particular cloth so to make the pig-jelly getting out. It is eaten cold with bread.
San Miniato is a “Slow Town” and is famous for its wines, extra-virgin olive oil, pork products and many other local agricultural products used by craftsmen in order to create high-quality products, which have become the basis of “Slow Food”.
