Food festivals in Tuscany

From Spring to Autumn Tuscany is full to the brim with villages which hold special events to celebrate typical foods and unusual dishes with frogs, ostriches and steaks all being showcased! Invariably the villagers come out in force and dinners are followed by dancing and evening markets.

Essential Italy's favourites include:

28th, 29th, 30th May, 2010: Bettolle, Siena - The Valley of the Giant White Festival

For steak lovers this is a must! The famous Bistecca Fiorentina comes from the Chianina cow, a truly wonderful animal which produces the finest steak in the world. The steak consists of a T-bone grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, seasoned with just salt and black pepper. The Bistecca is thickly cut and very large and is served very rare, garnished with lemon wedges and of course accompanied by red wine. This festival celebrates everything linked to the ‘Chianina’ and offers visitors food tasting, folklore shows, musical events and viewings of these amazing animals.

29 May – 6 June, 2010: Snail Festival (Sagra della Lumaca) in Camucia, near Arezzo

This is a wonderful festival of the Escargot with snail based menus, pizza and local produce tastings , walking and cycling tours, motorcycle and rally car shows and street parades all followed by a different dance event in the evenings with music provided by local orchestras.

Last weekend of July / first weekend of August, 2010: Frog Festival in Brolio, near Arezzo

The tiny village of Brolio (between Arezzo and Cortona) holds the Sagra della Rana – the frog festival. A classic for the locals – 10,000 frogs legs are imported especially for this event and the evening dances are considered to be the best in the area.

Essential Italy have a fantastic selection of accommodation options available to take advantage of these and other festivals local to the area. For tasters:

San Martino (sleeps up to 16)
The main villa sleeps 10, the smaller house 6. Both houses are only a few meters apart and thus ideal for families wanting to holiday together. This truly spacious accommodation is newly refurbished and positioned between Arezzo and Siena. The pool area is fantastic and the house has a billiards room and lots of living space

Price: From £2370 - £4990 per week for both properties together
Location: Arezzo 15 kms, Cortona 30kms, Siena 45kms, Florence 70 km

Villa La Senaia (sleeps 8)
Positioned between Arezzo and Cortona this spacious 4 bedroom villa has been superbly renovated and each bedroom has fabulous views. The garden and pool are wonderful and the position of the house is perfect for relaxing and exploring this fascinating part of Tuscany.

Price: From £1300 - £2495 per week
Location: Castiglion Fiorentino 3kms, Arezzo 15 kms, Cortona 10kms, Siena 55 kms, Florence 70kms

For more information and bookings, visit essentialitaly.co.uk.