Chocolate and chestnuts: these will be the protagonists of your Tuscan vacation in the province of Pistoia... at least at dinner!

The province of Pistoia, in fact, includes what the critics have renamed Chocolate Valley: in this strip of land about 200 people work in 20 chocolate laboratories.

Chocolate appeared in the Medici Grand Duchy around the 17th century thanks to the monks who came back from the New World. In order to make chocolate sweet, and therefore palatable, they mixed it with spices and herbs. Four hundred years later, in this corner of Tuscany, people continue to make experiments with the same passion.

Slitti in Monsummano, Catinari in Agliana and La Molina in Quarrata are just some of the best chocolate makers in the province of Pistoia. And if you have time, remember that there are excellent chocolate makers in Prato and Pisa as well.

Chestnut is, instead, the main ingredient of "pattona" (a sort of brown polenta), "necci" or "nicci" (pancakes made with the leaves of the chestnut tree) and "menni" (slices of pattona cooked a second time in the oven).

In autumn the province of Pistoia hosts many chestnut festivals, devoted to the various ways of cooking it: so you have the "frugiata" (or "caldarrosta" - roast chestnut) and the "ballotta" (boiled chestnut).

"Brigidini" are another Pistoia product renowned all over Tuscany. They are small crisps yellow disks made with sugar, flour, eggs and anise. The most famous ones come from Lamporecchio. On the market you can find also chocolate brigidini.