Panzanella
 | |
| Alternative names | Panmolle |
|---|---|
| Type | Salad |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Umbria, Tuscany |
| Main ingredients | Bread, tomatoes, onions |
Panzanella (Italian: [pantsaˈnɛlla]) or panmolle (Italian: [pamˈmɔlle]) is a Tuscan and Umbrian chopped salad of soaked stale bread, onions and tomatoes that is popular in the summer. It often includes cucumbers, sometimes basil and is dressed with olive oil and vinegar.
It is also popular in other parts of central Italy.
History
[edit]The 16th-century artist and poet Bronzino sings the praises of onions with oil and vinegar served with toast[1] and, a page later, speaks of a salad of onions, purslane, and cucumbers.[2][3] This is often interpreted as a description of panzanella.[4]
The name is believed to be a portmanteau of "pane", Italian for 'bread', and "zanella", a deep plate in which it is served.[5]
Ingredients
[edit]
Panzanella was based on onions, not tomatoes, until the 20th century.[6]
Modern panzanella is generally made of stale bread soaked in water and squeezed dry, red onions, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cucumbers and basil are often added.[citation needed]
Optional ingredients include lettuce, olives, mozzarella, white wine, capers, anchovies, celery, carrots, red wine, tuna, parsley, boiled egg, Mentha mint, bell peppers, lemon juice, and garlic. These ingredients are sometimes used, but Florentine traditionalists disapprove.[4]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "In lode delle cipolle", Capitoli faceti editi ed inediti di Mess: Agnolo Allori detto il Bronzino Venice 1822 page 324
- ^ Bronzino, Agnolo; Magrini, Pietro (January 25, 1822). "Li capitoli faceti editi ed inediti di mess". Dalla Tipografia di Alvisopoli.
- ^ Zeldes, Leah A. (2 September 2009). "Eat this! Panzanella: Ripe tomatoes turn stale bread into manna". Dining Chicago by Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012.
- ^ a b Bazzichi, Marco (18 August 2010). "Panzanella, tra tradizione e le varianti «immigrate»" [Panzanella, between tradition and 'immigrant' variants] (in Italian). Corriere Fiorentino. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010.
- ^ Dolce Jasmine (2017-11-14). "Panzanella salad: What you should know". Archived from the original on 2022-03-19. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ The earliest mention of tomatoes in panzanella found in Google Books is in 1928, in Le vie d'Italia (Rivista mensile del Touring Club Italiano 75)
