Pisa’s cuisine is varied from fish and seafood specialties to refined game dishes. White truffles are no doubt the most famous produce of the Pisan province, slightly spicy to the taste, its strong scent is halfway between garlic and cheese. More valuable than the black type can be found from October through to December and is used to add flavour to many dishes such as meat recipes, egg pasta or simply grated on anything.
Another typical dish of the area is a simple soup called “sullo scio” prepared by frying some garlic, rosemary and peeled tomatoes in oil to which is added water, after simmering for some time broken up tagliatelle are added; it is served very hot with parmesan.
Mushrooms are an important feature in Pisa’s gastronomic tradition, they can be eaten simply sliced and dressed in a salad or in more elaborate pasta sauces.
Amongst the sweets, a particualr mention goes to “torta con i bischeri”, a pastry based tart filled with rice cooked in milk and flavoured with lemon, vanilla and nutmeg with the addition of chocolate pieces, candy fruit, raisins and maraschino liqueur.