The name "Chianina" itself witnesses the geographical origin of the race: the flat land that was drained a long time ago by Fossombroni creating, with the help of Genius from Vinci, Leonardo, a draining channel called "Canale Maestro della Chiana"("Chiana Master Channel").

A "wound" across a land that helped to "discharge" the unhealthy air, the marshes and the malaria existing up to that eve throughout the area within the summits of Civitella in Val di Chiana and Lucignano (the border between Arezzo and the Florentine and Senese area), Cortona and Terontola (Umbria border), Monte Lignano and Castiglion Fiorentino (Valtiberina - Tevere valley - border).

Every little river of the land of the artificious valley leads to the Channel and the Master Channel itself flows into the Arno river. Paraphrasing Dante, "l'Arno volta le spalle agli aretini…"("the Arno turns its back on Arezzo people"), but the "botoli ringhiosi" ("snarling curs") took advantage of this by letting it take away all of the putrescence and decay that was present in a territory which was worth to drain; suffice it to think about the poet Francesco Petrarca, the painter Piero della Francesca, the "opinionist" Pietro Aretino etc, all of them native to this area.

But all the tradition concerning to ancient crafts can be considered Art as well. Among them there is the butcher’s craft. The famous "Fiorentina" Steak (you can find it even in Detroit ... as to remind the beginning of this article) has nothing to do with the area of Florence but owes the meat tenderness and its natural tastiness to a supreme breed, the Chianina: a supreme "effect" of the draining of the above mentioned area of origin.

However, in the Middle Ages, pork, game and small home chicken farming were the only meat resources for farmers’ and labourers’ families of that area.

The cow breeds, as well as the horses, were used only as pack animals and in the fields; only when the animals weren’t able to work anymore they were killed and their meats were eaten.

Even nowadays, in scanty and scattered areas in that valley not everybody has replaced the cow with the modern farm tractor and those who ask for original Chianina meat, if they want only the original, they would be given cuts of dark, thready and nervous meat, still good as a taste but not very attractive for the eyes of the buyer.

The Chianina breed, in fact, has always been good for farm work. There are information sources that trace back the origin of Chianina to the prehistoric eve, and in particular to the bos primigenius (portrayed in the cavern graffiti), similar to the Chianina as far as the "rump" is concerned.

The Etruscans and the Romans used the cow for its candid coat in triumphal parades and during the sacrifices to divinities.

The Chianino ox is the biggest in the world (the well known "Odalic" holds the supremacy of weight by reaching 1.750 Kg at the age of eight years). Nowadays the podolic breed is considered one of the most important meat producers in the world.

In 1982 the "5R" trademark (to which we previously referred) was changed in C.C.B.I. (association of producers of bovine meat from Italian breeds).

The index of aterogenocity is considered as a key issue for quality: the lower is its value, the better are the dietetic features of the meat.

THE IMPORTANCE OF IGP CERTIFICATION MARK 
(Protected Geographical Indication)

The IGP represents the only quality certification mark for bovine fresh meats approved by European Community for Italy. The breeds used to produce meats have to respond to certain conditions and requirements established by the Disciplinary and approved according to rules provided by EU Rule 2081/92.

The meat "White Bullock of Central Appennini" is produced by bovines, both males and females, belonging to Chianina, Marchigiana and Romagnola breeds and aged between 12 and 24 months.

The cattle must be born in Italy, in farms registered in the National Genealogy Book in order to allow the verification of breed purity. Each animal has to be identified according to what the existing Rule establishes.

The Production Disciplinary states that animals are feeded naturally by their mothers until the weaning time ends.

Then the food basis must be made up of soilages or pastures, coming from typical herbaceous cultivations of the farm area (the Central Appennini mountains); also fattening and slaughter have to occur within the same area. The cattle destined to meat production is inspected before slaughtering by experts trained by C.C.B.I., the association caring about protection and diffusion of the certification mark. The same experts brand the meat as "Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale" in order to grant the recognizability during the sale phase.

The meat is sold as "cut" or in sealed packs and always in certified sales points, in which this meat is kept isolated from the others and further inspections are carried out. Only these sales points can expose the trademark "Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale". The packing can happen exclusively in authorized laboratories that match certain requirements in order to grant the meat origin.

Each single pack must have the inscription: "Indicazione Geografica Protetta - Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale" ("Protected Geographical Indication - White Bullock of Central Appennini") and the checking document number that allows the tracking of the beast which the meat comes from.

Each sales point has to show a copy of the checking document, in order to make pieces of information available for consumers.

The National Genealogy Book

Along with the control stations, the National Genealogy Book represents the fundamental instrument for cattle amelioration. It is divided into 5 section, one for each breed.

It is an informatic database of the anagraphical, genealogical, morphological, production and reproduction data of selected bovines.

Chianina Breed’s meat secrets

Bovine meat is generally divided in two main categories: red and white. The red one is the meat of adult animals: Bullock, Beef, Cow and Bull.

The white one is the meat from Calf (or Veal), whose feeding is mainly based on milk - that is the reason why it is called "Milk Calf".

The bullock offers a richer, more nutritious and more strengthening meat. The best meat from bullock is recognizable by the bright red colour, by the tight, consistent grain, but compact and elastic by touch, with little fat threads, (white or whitish) that pass through the muscle mass and by the thickness of the external fat, white or bright yellow, that covers the back and the loins surface.

The cow’s meat has a thinner grain than the bullock’s one and a less bright colour; if it comes from a middle-aged fattened animal "on purpose" the quality is as good as the bullock’s one even by the nutritional point of view. Young bull’s meat is similar to the cow’s one.

The old bull has an inferior meat quality, and the meat has a dark colour. Up to few decades ago these elements were easily recognizable in meat, as the cattle was generally used as "farm engine" and slaughtered as it got old. Soon after slaughter, red meat is generally hard as it is cooked and sensibly acid.

Therefore it needs to rest for a little time; this period is called "seasoning" or "hanging" and changes according to the kind of meat and to the temperature to which the meat itself is submitted.

A consequence of the "hanging" is also the change of look and taste of the meat: ever since the killing of the animal (when the skeleton gets rigid and the meat becomes tough and tasteless) up to the cutting time (when the rigidity of the quarter or half of the ox is lost) the meat gets softer and gains more and more flavour also after natural chemical transformations.

As per information purpose, the "seasoning" or "hanging" time can last even 2 or 3 weeks in case of game animals (wild boar, fallow deer, roe deer, buck, pheasant, hare).

This process has to be carefully carried out and the meat must be eaten after the right resting time.

This process has to be carefully carried out and the meat must be eaten after the right resting time.

The best duration time of "hanging" is 10/14 days, in order to obtain meat of a high tasting value. If you wish to get a longer "hanging" time, you need to be provided with meat of high quality, sufficiently covered with white fat and to adopt scrupolous care to maintain constant temperature, humidity and ventilation conditions in the fridge.

For a tender and tasty grill-cooking you need to have a well hanged meat.

You can recognize the good piece of fresh meat generally by the colour and firmness, by the cut that must be perpendicular to the fibres, the slices as extended as you can and a regular thickness, except for special pieces.

Chianti Stracotto

Tie a piece of meat tight up in the veal part called sorra and fill it in with some garlic, hot pepper, parsley, pine-seeds, almonds, raisins, salt and pepper. Put it as a whole to the flame browning it with olive oil and chopped onion and carrot. Let the meat brown on every sides. Add many pine-seeds, Almonds and raisins finely chopped and flood with Chianti Colli Aretini wine. Let the whole cook for about 3 hours ‘til the wine has dried off and a very thick sauce is left. Cut slices of meat and cover with the above mentioned sauce before serving.

 The Events

• Rassina Grape Festival September 
• Carda Chestnute Festival November
• Cortona Fried Loaf Fair December 
• Cortona Tuscan Gastronomy Fair "The Steak" 15th August Week
• Cortona Trade Fair of the Chianina Breed Calf March 
• Cortona Mountain celebration July
• Castiglion Fiorentino ANtiquarian Fair First sunday of the month and previous saturday 
• Castiglion Fiorentino Palio dei Rioni (Quarters’ Palio) Historical Parade June
• Arezzo Antiquarian Fair First sunday of the month and previous saturday
• Arezzo Agri@tour National Fair of farm holidays and rural tourism November
• Cortona Joust of archidado Historical parade of 1300 Pentecost
• Cortona Sagra del piccione Pigeon Fair August 
• Cortona Steak Fair August
• Lucignano May Song Parade of flowered carts, featuring bands and folk groups Before last and last sunday of May 
• Lucignano Camminanmangiando A walk tasting local food and wine June