The Chianine

The Chianina breed is one of the oldest breeds in the world. In the past it was bred for the value of meat and for the strength of animals. Specimens of chianina were in fact used in agriculture to drag the plow and agricultural tools. A noble animal with an imposing appearance with a typical porcelain white coat and a black muzzle. Chianina meat is bred in the Valdichiana (hence the name), and in the last fifty years it has been “saved” from extinction thanks to the passion of some brave breeders. As per protocol, breeding takes place basically in the wild, leaving the cows to pasture during the whole summer period, while in winter they remain in stable fed by hay harvested in the summer. Much appreciated from chianina is the “fiorentina” that can be enjoyed in various traditional dishes: from stews, braised and boiled. Among the bovine breeds protected by the Consorzio del Vitellone Bianco dell’Appennino Centrale PGI, chianina is perhaps the one that today enjoys a noblest image and international fame.