Traditional Tuscan cuisine is hearty, homey and incredibly flavorful – and with your local host as your menu decipherer, you’ll go on a tasty tour of some of Florence’s best bites. Sample schiacciata, a flatbread covered in salt and oil (or its smaller, rounder cousin, schiacciatine, with toppings like pickled vegetables or liver), or be a little more adventurous and bite into a lampredotto sandwich – boiled cow’s intestine in a herbed green sauce. Pair a Tuscan red with local bread and oil, then try visanto, a uniquely flavored dessert wine. Stop off at a cafe for coffee and cake (Torta della Nonna, a flaky custard tart, always goes down well), and end with a creamy Italian gelato in a unique flavor from Strega Nocciola.

In the historic heart of Florence, you’ll be well-positioned to taste all the reasons Tuscan cuisine stands out in a country famed for its food. In the Santa Croce district, explore the famous Sant'Ambrogio Market, a 150-year-old indoor market with butchers and traditional vendors selling fresh produce and specialty foods – now surrounded by what’s considered the “gourmet ghetto” of the city – then head further from the frenzied pace to Borgo Pinti for typical Tuscan street food. Just 15 minutes west, visit a popular gelateria and head to the bustling Mercato Centrale, a famous food and produce market with a gourmet food hall on the top floor, where your host will point out one of the city’s best makers of cantucci.