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The Chianina breed is enjoying today an image as one of the most prominent and popular breeds amongst all world-breeds thanks to the ever growing fame of the “fiorentina”-style steak’s gastronomic myth. Originating, according to some sources, from the Bos Primigenius (the kind depicted in prehistoric caves), whose “rump” they still preserve, the Chianina-cattle were much appreciated already in Etruscan and Roman times when, due to their snow-white coat they were used for triumphal parades and in the performing of sacrifices to deities (as described by georgic and Latin poets and portrayed in bronze statues and roman bas-reliefs, amongst which stand out the ones from the world-celebrated Arch of Constantine in the Imperial Forums).
The Chianina-cattle, easily recognizable from their porcelain-white coat, their tongue and muzzle pigmentation, their light and elegant short-horned head, their long and cylindrical body with wide and well-rounded rump and loins and their limbs, longer than those in other breeds, are the largest bovines on earth (the absolute world-record is held by celebrated “Donetto”, a Chianina bull weighing, at the age of 8, an impressive 1.750 Kg!).

After 22 centuries of breeding in the lower-middle Tiber Valley and Val di Chiana, the Chianina breed is nowadays spread all over the hills and plains enclosed amongst the cities of Arezzo, Siena, Pisa, Perugia and Rieti. In the late Fifties, thanks to its capability to adapt to different environments, the Chianina soon grew to be a “cosmopolitan” breed and crossed national borders to reach Asia, China, Russia, Australia and North and South America.
Mostly employed in the past as a draught animal, the Chianina are today considered to be some of the most prized meat-producers in the world.

In Italy, this dish reigns as the epitome of steak. Florentine steak consists of a hefty T-bone cut of Chianina beef. This rare race of unusually large cows is raised in Tuscany's Val di Chiana, and is considered one of the best for the quality of its meat. The cows are slaughtered while relatively young, and their meat is not at all fatty. Chianina beef is also prized for its exceptional flavor, which Tuscans consider more savory than other types of beef. The meat is grilled quickly over charcoal and seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper; for best results, it should be at least 2" thick. Other cuts of beef can be used, but the results are never as tender and flavorful as the prized T-bone cut.