Chianina cattle

Chianina is one of the oldest cattle breeds in continuous registration — the breed is documented in Etruscan and Roman art from the Val di Chiana region of Tuscany, and the modern breed registry traces continuous lineage from ancient stock. The cattle are massive (bulls can exceed 1,800 kg / 4,000 lbs, making them among the largest cattle breeds in the world), white-coated, with notably long legs and tall frame. The meat is famously lean — the breed is bred for working draft strength rather than marbled fat — making it the source for bistecca alla fiorentina (the famous Tuscan T-bone), but also a less obvious choice for cured-meat work where marbling matters.

The use of Chianina in cured meat is real but secondary — air-dried bresaola-style preparations from Chianina are produced regionally, and the lean character actually suits the long-aged dried-beef format. Most Italian beef bresaola (Bresaola della Valtellina IGP) actually uses other breeds; Chianina-specific work is more localized to Tuscany.