Florence latest Italian city to adopt 'you are what you eat' mantra

Italian chef Cristina Palanti poses with a meat cleaver and cooking fork hovering over a plastic pig figurine at the L'e'Maiala restaurant in Florence in this Oct 6, 2012 file photo. Photo: Reuters

Fried cow's brains might not be to everyone's taste, but more people may sample the Florentine specialty now that Italy's art capital has ordered food outlets in the city centre to sell mostly local produce.

Florence is the latest Italian tourist destination to adopt the mantra "you are what you eat", and is requiring shops and restaurants to make sure that 70% of their food comes from the surrounding region.