Piadina
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La j'è bona in tot i mud, Delicious with filling la j'è bona énca scudida or even served plain, sa' n'avì ancora capì, if your haven't already guessed, a scor propri dla pida. I am talking abaut the "piadina".
Nothing speaks more of Romagna than this bread of ours... it is a symbol that speaks of devotion to our land.[1] Giovanni Pascoli
Piadina or Piada is a thin Italian flatbread, typically prepared in the Romagna region (Forlì-Cesena, Ravenna and Rimini). It is usually made with white flour, lard (or olive oil), salt and water. The dough was traditionally cooked on a terracotta dish (called teggia in the Romagnolo dialect), although nowadays flat pans or electric griddles are commonly used.
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[edit] Origins and name
The etymology of the word "piadina" is uncertain; many think the term "piada" (piê, pièda, pìda) was borrowed from the Greek word for focaccia. Others think the term was borrowed from other languages because of the large use of similar foods throughout the Eastern Roman Empire.The term "Piada" was officialized by Pascoli, who adapted the Romagna dialect word "piè" into its more Italian form.[1] Romagna was heavily influenced by Byzantium during the early Middle Ages when the Eastern Empire reconquered parts of the Western domain which had fallen to the invading barbarians. In those days Ravenna was the capital city of the Exarchate, and that would explain how the Greco-Byzantine recipe entered the local gastronomy.
The first written evidence of Piadina as it is now recognized dates back to 1371, in the Descriptio Romandiolae compiled by Cardinal Anglico, who for the first time gave the recipe of the bread of the people of Romagna: "It is made with wheat flour moistened with water and flavoured with salt. It is then kneaded with milk as well, and also a little lard."[1]
[edit] Modern era
Piadinas are usually sold immediately after preparation in specialized kiosks (called piadinerie) filled with a variety of cheeses, cold cuts and vegetables, but also with sweet fillings such as jam or Nutella. There may be small differences depending on the zone of production. Piadinas produced around Ravenna are generally thicker, while those produced around Rimini and the Marche region are thinner and the diameter is greater.
A Belgian company, owned by Swiss group Renzi AG, claims to own intellectual rights over a product called piadina.[2] This can be easily circumvented, simply because piadina is the diminutive of piada and the ratio of ingredients, preparation and presentation can be changed at will. Piadina is served at the PIADA chain in London[3] and is distributed in the USA.[4]
Piadina has even found its way to space, eaten by Russian cosmonauts as part of a mediterranean diet experiment on the International Space Station.[5]
[edit] External links
- PiadaMe!, USA
- PIADA, London, UK
- Piada, New York City, USA
- (Italian) PiadinaOnLine
- (Italian) History of Piadina
