As I sit and binge From Scratch on Netflix (which, by the way, is also a fantastic book), I am drawn back to my camera roll, where I keep scrolling through dreamy photos of a recent trip to Italy. After ten plus years of imagining visiting Tuscany together, Matt and I finally took the plunge in early October. In six days, we visited Lugano (my college town), Florence, the Tuscan Countryside, and Milan, and it was hands-down our favorite trip so far.

I hadn’t been to Italy in over five years, and this trip, I saw everything with new eyes. Our vacation, shared with one other couple, began in Lugano - I had to show Matt my college town - and took us to Florence, San Gimignano, and Milan. We wandered city streets, stared at a lot of duomo ceilings, drank wine, and, of course, ate. We discussed lunch and dinner over breakfast, as the best food tourists do.

Thanks to my new “job” as a food blogger, dining on Italian food felt almost sacred, if it hadn’t already. I took photos and mental notes, soaking up as much of the culture as I possibly could. The best part of traveling is being surprised by a culture when you least expect it. A few standouts…

1. Porcini mushroom season is Italy’s “It’s Fall, Y’all!”

   You laugh, but I’m serious! Americans get excited about Pumpkin Spice Lattes and pumpkins, while Italians put porcini mushrooms in everything (no complaints here).

2. Pecorino cream is a thing…And you should try it.

For lunch in San Gimignano, we stopped in a small sandwich shop in the center of town. We ordered focaccia sandwiches with various meats and sauces. Forget mayonnaise - my spread was a cream made of pecorino cheese. You can bet I ate every last bite.

3. The Chianti Classico region is limited to 100 square miles.

On the day we drove from Florence to San Gimignano, we had no itinerary. The plan was to drive the countryside and explore, hopefully finding restaurants and wineries along our way. Sure enough, we stumbled upon Luiano Winery in Chianti, where our wonderful tour guide explained all the laws governing Chianti. While the region of Chianti is a large part of Tuscany, true Chianti Classico wines come from a very small area. True Chianti Classico wines are denoted by this rooster logo.

4. Tuscan bread is as bad as Stanley Tucci claimed.

When Tucci took Tuscany, he complained at length about the bread. I figured he was crazy (how could any Italian bread be bad?!), but he’s not. Tuscany is the only region where bread is not salted, and the result is tough, flavorless slices. Rumor has it that this is so eaters put salty cured meats and cheeses on the bread without overindulging in salt. Our non-Tuscan Italian friends think it’s just an excuse for baking bad bread.

5. Each region has it’s preferred pasta - Tuscany’s is pici.

Rome has bucatini, Puglia has orecchiette, and Tuscany has pici. We spotted it on every menu. I’m not sure why Americans are less familiar with pici, because it’s a wonderful type of pasta! I tried it with truffle, with seafood, and with a simple eggplant-and-tomato sauce.

6. Wine at lunch is an expectation, not an indulgence.

Perhaps we already knew this, but when I was a college student, my friends and I always ordered alcohol, so it was hard to tell if this was genuinely acceptable. Turns out, every time we ordered lunch, the server would ask, “And your wine?” Wine with lunch is just another example of the way Italians take their time to enjoy each meal; a glass of wine is a reminder to relax and take in your company and delicious food.

7. Tuscany is home to the pecorino capital of the world.

Our friend happens to be a huge pecorino fan, so he was in luck. On a drive through the Val d’Orcia, a stunning valley in southern Tuscany, we stopped in Pienza, the home of pecorino. The main street literally smells of pecorino, and the friendly shopkeepers were more than happy to let us taste their products. We may or may not have brought some home with us as a souvenir.

8. Authentic Italian cuisine is even simpler than I’d realized.

My love for Italian food stems from its remarkable simplicity, yes. I marvel at the delicious flavors that derive from a five-ingredient dish. But in Florence, we dined at a small restaurant recommended by an Italian-born food writer. While Florence is riddled with tourists, we seemed to be in the locals-only spot, and we stuck out like sore thumbs. We may have been overdressed, sitting at cafeteria tables, rubbing elbows with Florentine strangers, but the result was a completely authentic experience. We ordered “La Bistecca” (steak Florentine) and were shocked by the amazing quality of the meat, flavored only by salt, pepper, and high-quality olive oil. Finishing oil gave the steak an earthy, natural olive flavor. It was the purest steak I’ve ever tasted. If you like your meat rare, I can’t recommend it enough.

9. Truffle isn’t a luxury in Tuscany.

We found truffle on every menu, from high-end restaurants to hole-in-the wall eateries deep in the country. Truffles are grown in Tuscany’s backyard, so it isn’t treated like a delicacy like it is in U.S. restaurants. Also, truffle dogs are real, and they’re remarkable. Our agriturismo manager’s Kerry Blue Terrier, Randolph, is an adorable truffle dog with loads of energy and amazing intelligence.

10. Italian hospitality is not just a stereotype.

A friendly smile and small talk are nice, but how about five hours of swapping stories on the patio after dinner? Not only were our agriturismo hosts kind and willing to give us restaurant suggestions, but they joined us and poured us home-brewed drinks (bay leaf liquor and cinnamon liquor, among others), shared cooking advice, and told hilarious stories of their worldly travels. The hosts were Sicilian, bringing an old Sicilian word, cumpari to mind. Cumpari refers to friends that are like family. We spent just three nights there, and it already felt like home.