Florentine cuisine acquired a more than local dimension in 1533, when Caterina de’ Medici married Henry of Valois, King of France. Caterina was just 14 years old at the time, but was already fond of good food, and she took some cooks and pastry chefs with her to France. With the arrival of the new queen, France was introduced to the smells and aromas of Florentine court cuisine by way of recipes like salsa colla (now besciamella), onion soup and tongue in dolceforte (‘sweet and strong’).