First of all a linguistic tip. In Italian tortello is singular and tortelli are plural. Some prefer the singular also because it rhymes with Mugello the valley where it comes from. There are many companies and brands that sell the “traditional tortello of Mugello.” However, very often they have very little of the land they refer to. It hurts to see the name of traditional tortello of Mugello in many brands and products made with industrial flour mixtures. In addition with eggs whose origin is sometimes unknown and with a filling made with potato byproducts.
In order to protect the quality of the Mugello products the association “Granaio dei Medici “ was recently created. One of the first products to be protected was the traditional tortello of Mugello. First of all, the true Mugello tortelli all come from the local “supply chain” starting from the flour. Eggs are produced from free range hens and have therefore no harmful substances to humans. Only selected potatoes from local farms are used for the filling. Potato flakes or other mixtures are totally absent.
Giacomo Tatti is the president of the business association Granaio dei Medici. At the moment more than 20 local companies are part of the Granaio de ‘Medici. “In addition to the local quality supply chain materials, it’s the creation of the tortello that distinguishes us. In fact the true traditional tortello of Mugello is rigorously handmade. There are people who prepare them, compose them and cut them. Even craftsmanship is an indication of excellence” Tatti explains .
Someone asks the question about the competitiveness of the product relative to the price. Tatti tells us: “the large distribution also takes care of quality products. There are more and more people attentive to what they put on their plate. We are convinced that many consumers will be willing to spend a little more to have a product of great quality. “A considerable success has already been experienced with the bread from the Mugello supply chain. In a few years, it has more than doubled its presence in the stores and consequently also its sales.
We at Mugello & Tuscany will be happy to provide further information on typical products of the Mugello. In particular where to find the most genuine traditional Tortello of Mugello. For some readers it might be also interesting to participate in a cooking class based on the traditional tortello of Mugello. In our cooking class you’ll also learn to prepare the most delicious sauces to go with the tortello. These include meat, tomato, truffle and cream sauce. Our cooking classes will be lead by a professional English speaking local chef. Don’t hesitate to contact us info@mugello-tuscany.com