Italian food is, without a doubt, one of the best cuisines in the world. Beyond its popularity, eating one of these dishes takes you back to childhood memories, to grandmothers preparing fresh pasta, to landscapes of olive trees and, in its essence, to family.

Italy is divided into twenty regions (yes, you read that right, there are twenty in total), each of which has its own traditions, customs and, of course, gastronomy. Prato, the city where I was born, is located in the Tuscany region, in the central part of the country and is one of the main tourist regions in Italy, as it has unmissable destinations such as Florence or Pisa.

The gastronomy of Tuscany (and Prato) is simple and straightforward and this is what makes it wonderful and unforgettable: bread, cheese, fresh fruit, olive oil, cured meats, among others, what more could you ask for?

Classics such as extra virgin olive oil with completely fresh olives are made here. In the seasons of October and November, delicious truffles can be found. The typical pasta dish is the pappardelle, a kind of wide noodles that are usually accompanied by different sauces and sometimes mushrooms, as in the traditional Pappardelle ai funghi porcini (typical mushrooms of the region).

Another typical dish is the famous ribollita (which literally means boiled again). This is a soup that is made with some vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, black cabbage, and cannellini beans. Everything is cooked and put together in a clay pot until it becomes a kind of puree. It is made in large quantities so it is usually overheated and that is where its name comes from. Served with toasted Tuscan bread.

Here we come to another very important point: bread. In Tuscany there is something called la sacralità del pane and what it means is that never, for anything in the world, should bread go to waste. That is why we find it in many dishes and in various presentations: soaked in sauce (pappa al pomodoro) or soup (ribollita), toasted, in panino, sandwiches, etc. There is so much care and love for this, that Tuscan bread has the protected designation of origin (DOP) by the European Union.

Speaking of bread, on your next trip to Prato, you can't miss a Tuscan prosciutto andpecorino cheese panini, which has been made for more than five hundred years and is typical of the region. Generally, pecorino is made with sheep's milk, but there are also some variations of this milk mixed with cow's milk.

Nor can you stop having a good glass of wine (or several) and that is because Tuscan wine is traditional. The most famous and internationally known is Chianti, although there are many others such as Brunelo di Montalcino or il Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, not to mention Carmignano, which is produced in the province of Prato.

Last but not least, we have desserts and these cannot be missing from our tour of Tuscan gastronomy. Starting with the cantuccini or also known as biscotti di Prato; hard almond cookies that are served accompanied by vin Santo (the typical sweet wine of the region) to soak them in it.

There is also the castagnaccio, a dessert made with chestnut flour (hence the name) and that has raisins and pine nuts, this is a typical autumn dessert. And another typical one that is usually enjoyed at Christmas time is panforte, a dessert with almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cinnamon, honey, nutmeg and candied oranges.

The list could go on and on, as not only in Prato but throughout the region, delicious food is never lacking. So if you plan to take a trip to Tuscany, these dishes should be on your itinerary, I'm sure you'll love them.