The cold Tuscan bread salad of stale unsalted bread soaked in tomato water, tossed with ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and basil, dressed with red-wine vinegar and Tuscan olive oil.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Panzanella traces to the Tuscan peasant kitchen of the 14th century, when bread was the main calorie and never wasted; the writer Bronzino described an onion-bread salad in his 1554 'Cipolla' poem. The tomato did not enter the dish until the late 19th century, by which point the canonical mix (bread, tomato, onion, cucumber, basil) had settled. Pellegrino Artusi codified the modern recipe in his 1891 'La scienza in cucina'.
Common allergens: Gluten
Tip from the editors. Tuscan bread is unsalted; salted bread breaks down too fast. Pane sciapo from a Tuscan forno is correct.
Trattoria La Casalinga off Piazza Santo Spirito is the 1963 family cucina povera room with ribollita and trippa for 10 euros, no concession to the centre.
Why locals love it: Family-run cucina povera since 1963 just off Piazza Santo Spirito; ribollita and trippa for €10 a course, no concession to the centre's tourist circuit.
Tip: Closed Sunday; cash only. Lunch is calmer; dinner books up a week ahead.
Cibreo Trattoria in Florence's Sant'Ambrogio quarter is Fabio Picchi's no-pasta trattoria, the casual side of the Cibreo group. Located in Sant Ambrogio.
Signature: Trippa alla fiorentina, Pappa al pomodoro, Polpettine di pollo
Order: Polpettine di pollo, pappa al pomodoro and the trippa alla fiorentina.
Tip: No reservations and no pasta on the menu. Queue from 19:45 for the 20:00 first seating; lunch is the calmer service.
Trattoria Mario in Florence's San Lorenzo has run the working-class lunch counter since 1953 next to Mercato Centrale, with a daily pasta carte at €8 a primo.
Try: Lunch trattoria pasta and meat
Order: Ribollita, pappardelle al cinghiale, a glass of house Chianti for €3.
Tip: Queue from 12:00; lunch-only Mon-Sat. Cash only. Closed all of August.
Trattoria da Burde in Florence: italian room. Bus 35 to a 1901 trattoria the working quarter still treats as its own; Friday-night bistecca.
Why locals love it: Bus 35 to a 1901 trattoria the working quarter still treats as its own; Friday-night bistecca dinner is the seating locals book three weeks ahead.
Tip: Lunch Mon-Sat; dinner Friday only. Book three weeks ahead for Friday.
More cities are in research. Want panzanella covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.