The “bistecca alla fiorentina” or simply “fiorentina” is a traditional and worldwide famous dish from Florence. It is a thickly cut and very large Tuscan T-bone steak cooked on a charcoal grill. It is always served rare (“al sangue”). There is no specific etymology for the word “Bistecca” in Italian, in fact, according to many stories, this name comes from a Florentine reinterpretation of two English words.. In 1565, for the celebration of the wedding of Paolo Orsino and Isabella, daughter of the Duke of Florence, a whole ox was roasted in San Lorenzo square and shared with the people of the neighbourhood.
Back then, Florence was an important centre for banking and trade. That night, as it was often the case, few British gentlemen were in town for business and took part as well to the dinner celebration. Won over the amazing taste of the food, they kept asking all night for more “beef steak, beef steak !!” The Florentines liked the sound of these words and, probably without even knowing the meaning, decided to take inspiration from their sound and came out with this original name “Bistecca”.
Here are a few good places where to get a great “beef steak” or Bistecca alla Fiorentina next time you are in Florence:
– Trattoria Cammillo
– Il Sostanza – detto il Troia
– Buca Lapi
– Alla Vecchia Bettola
– Regina Bistecca
– All’Antico ristoro di Cambi
– Il Latini
