Eating Florence – a food trail around the Oltrarno

Savvy foodies cross the river to the Oltrarno, the arty-crafty, bohemian side of the city. This four-hour Florentine food safari, run in English, reveals the underbelly of Florence on an engaging walking tour. The Eating Italy tour offers insights into Florentine history as well as food. En route are delicious tastings of cheeses, cured meats (salumi) as well as crostini, wine, Florentine biscuits and ice cream. If you can’t make it, follow a version of the tour on your own, with tips below but to guarantee the tastings, you need to follow a tour.

If you have a strong stomach, one highlight is the Da Simone food stall (Piazza dei Nerli) for tripe (lampredotto), the typical Florentine street food.  The tripe sandwich, literally made with “the fourth stomach of a cow” is enjoyed by everyone from Fiorentina football fans to artisans and aristocrats. Instead, Macelleria Mignani (Borgo San Frediano 127/r) serves tastings of fennel-infused salami. For the sweet-toothed, Pasticceria Buonamici (Via dell’Orto 12/r) demonstrates the making of cantuccini, the famous Florentine almond biscuits, baked by a father and daughter team. The’ll tell you why Tuscan bread is made without salt, supposedly because salt was once reserved for `precious’ foods such as salami. Fiaschetteria Fantappe (Via dei Serragli 47/r) should deliver your first glass of Chianti of the day, matched by a crostino toscano, crunchy bruschetta slathered in chicken liver.

Web: www.eatingitalyfoodtours.com/florence/tours/oltrarno/