Historic area producing foodstuff (5)
I believe the answer is:
pasta
'foodstuff' is the definition.
(pasta is a kind of foodstuff)
'historic area' is the wordplay.
'historic' becomes 'past' (similar in meaning).
'area' becomes 'a' (maths abbreviation).
'past'+'a'='PASTA'
'producing' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for pasta that I've seen before include "Tapas (anag)" , "Staple food of Italian origin" , "Processed flour dough" , "Eg, lasagne" , "dish high in carbohydrates" .)