Is there ribollita on the menu?
ri-bol-LI-ta — four syllables, stress on third. Double 'l'.
In a Tuscan trattoria when looking for the most iconic Tuscan peasant soup — ribollita.
'Ribollita' = 're-boiled' (past participle of 'ribollire'). It is a thick Tuscan bread soup made with stale bread, cannellini beans, cavolo nero, and vegetables — re-heated (re-boiled) from the previous day, which actually improves it.
La ribollita è fatta con il cavolo nero?
Is the ribollita made with cavolo nero?
Cavolo nero (Tuscan black kale) is the essential, non-negotiable ingredient
Com'è fatta la vostra ribollita?
How is your ribollita made?
Every Tuscan grandmother has a slightly different ribollita — the answer will reveal the family tradition
La pappa al pomodoro invece?
What about pappa al pomodoro?
Another classic Tuscan bread soup — ripe tomatoes and stale bread with olive oil and basil
Ribollita is the quintessential 'cucina povera' (poverty kitchen) dish — made to use up stale bread and whatever vegetables remained. Tuscan bread is traditionally made without salt ('pane sciocco') — a tradition dating to a medieval tax on salt. The unsalted bread is essential to authentic ribollita.