Slow Food & Mercatale

 

 

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 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 is made by using pig blood and fat, nutmeg, cinnamon, pine nuts, raisins and other spices. This mixture is boiled and packed inside a casing. When it is cold, it is sliced and eaten as a starter.Spuma di Gota is made by flavouring pig cheeks and chopping them until they become soft. It is ideal on hot toasted bread as a starter.

Sopressata is 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.


MERCATALE

The Slow Food Association and other associations organise a market called Mercatale 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 Piazza Dante Alighieri 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.

 

 

 


 

Truffled parmesan risotto


 Ingredients

  •  500 g rice
  • 60 g butter
  • 100 g grated parmesan
  • 50 g white truffles (sliced or pâté)

 Cook the rice traditionally and add grated parmesan, butter and a half of the truffle. Mix and serve hot with slices of white truffle.