Most Italian guide books offer tips on what to see and where to dine in Tuscany. But few, perhaps none, have addressed Italian dining rituals the way writer Sam Hilt has.
Hilt, a native of New Jersey, gained his insight on Italian culture through his experience as a Tuscan tour guide. He offers great travel and dining advice in his book Turning Tuscan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Going Native.
His personal tales are intimate, informative and highly entertaining. The best ones, though, are the ones you don't expect like the unspoken Tuscan dining rituals that appear in his book.
To sum up his main points, Hilt wants you to know these are big no-no's in Tuscany and other parts of Italy:
- Breakfast foods are only eaten in the a.m. - there's no such thing as an all-day breakfast
- You never put garlic in panzanella
- Whatever you do, never have a cappucino after dinner
For more tips, we invite you to browse our Tuscan postcards, which offer plenty of tips on must-sees and culinary specialties throughout the region.