Breadsticks, also known as grissini (: grissino;
Piedmontese
Piedmontese ( ; autonym: or ; ) is a language spoken by some 2,000,000 people mostly in Piedmont, a region of Northwest Italy. Although considered by most linguists a separate language, in Italy it is often mistakenly regarded as an Italian ...
: ''ghërsin'', ), are generally
pencil
A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage and keeps it from marking the user's hand.
Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail of ...
-sized sticks of crisp, dry baked
bread
Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...
that originated in the Italian city of
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, Piedmont.
History
It is believed that the breadstick originated in 1643, when a
Florentine abbot described a long-shaped and "bone-thin" bread being made in
Lanzo Torinese
Lanzo Torinese (''Lans'' in Piedmontese and arpitan) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin, region of Piedmont, northwestern Italy. It is located about northwest of Turin at the mouth of the Valli di Lanzo.
History
...
, a town outside of
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
. Tradition states, however, that it originated in the region of
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
in the 17th century, invented by a baker called Antonio Brunero, from Turin. It was a food that was intended to be easier to digest for the Duke
Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, who had digestive problems in his childhood.
Serving
In Italian restaurants, breadsticks are often offered as an
appetizer
An hors d'oeuvre ( ; ), appetiser, appetizer or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or th ...
(
antipasto), especially in their traditional shape, together with or replacing bread, which is commonly provided with all meals. They may also be combined with ingredients such as
prosciutto
Prosciutto ( ; ), also known as ''prosciutto crudo'', is an uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. It is usually served thinly sliced.
Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crudo'', each with degrees of protected ...
. This appears to be the case with restaurants in the United States as well; in some instances or regions, they may be a type that is larger than pencil-sized, as well as soft instead of hard.
In many North American restaurants, breadsticks are soft, frequently topped with butter, garlic, and cheese when served as appetizers; as a
dessert
Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal; the course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, biscuit, ice cream, and possibly a beverage, such as dessert wine or liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly umami, ...
item, they can be topped with cinnamon, sugar, and icing.
Pre-made, dried breadsticks can be found being sold in markets as a quick snack or a pre-meal appetizer for home use, somewhat similar to a
cracker. In Italy they are often consumed as a snack on their own, but in the United States they are usually served with a dip of some sort, such as cheese.
Another recipe for breadsticks, called ''rosquilletas'', exists in the
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...
.
See also
*
Pretzel sticks
Pretzel sticks are small snacks similar to miniature Pretzel, pretzels. They are 10–15 cm long and about 4 mm thick, made from leavened dough with a lye crust and sprinkled with Salt, salt crystals. They are usually produced industrially and s ...
References
{{Italian bread
Italian breads
Lanzo Torinese