Barberino di Mugello holiday villa: Barberino di Mugello

THE GASTRONOMY In this Tuscan territory between Florence and Bologna, the traveller can discover traditional dishes and a variety of local produce that have maintained their authenticity to this day. The few dishes that have been passed down in Mugello from the gastronomic tradition of the past are all important, typical recipes with ?natural? flavours, made with traditional wholesome ingredients and never with the strong spices that are often overused in modern day food. First servings often include ?tortelli di patate? (small pockets of pasta stuffed with potatoes), the ?tagliatelle sui funghi, sul cinghiale, sulla lepre? (thick string pasta with mushroom, wild boar or hare meat sauce), ?farinata? (polenta with kale and beans), soup, and minestrone. Meat is a very important part of the Mugello cuisine: we find steaks two inches thick, but also ?rosticciana? pork ribs, and sausages or ?coniglio ripieno? (stuffed rabbit), and the very particular boiled duck. The main cheese is ?pecorino?, made with pure sheep?s milk, or ?misto? mixed with cow?s milk; the side dishes include ?fagioli all?olio? (beans with extra virgin olive oil dressing), and a tasty variety of garden vegetables dipped in batter and fried (artichokes, aubergines, pumpkin flowers). Desserts can be quite simple like the ?pan di ramerino? (sweet buns with rosemary and raisins) and the ?schiacciata con l?uva? (sweet flat bread with grapes), classical like the tarts made with delicious jams, or more elaborate like the cake or the ?budino? (pudding), from Marradi, made with the delicious ?Marrone del Mugello?, the I.G.P. denominated Mugello chestnut. THE MAGNIFICENT TEN The mythic climbs of the Mugello Apennine There are ten challenging climbs to have a go at: some harder and others easier to conquer, but all of them demanding. Speed does not count, but tenacity and concentration do! There are no records to beat, except with oneself: bend after bend, little by little the cyclist comes closer to h