''Pane carasau'' (, ; "toasted bread" in
Sardinian language
Sardinian or Sard ( , or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language spoken by the Sardinians on the Western Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
Many Romance linguists consider it the language that is closest to Latin among all its genealogica ...
, from the past participle of the Sardinian verb "to toast", referring to the crust) is a traditional
flatbread
A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread.
Flatbreads ran ...
from
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
. It is called in
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, meaning "
sheet music
Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses List of musical symbols, musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chord (music), chords of a song or instrumental Musical composition, musical piece. Like ...
", in reference to its large and paper-thin shape, which is said to be so thin before cooking that a sheet of music can be read through it. It is typically paired with
pecorino
Pecorino cheeses are hard Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. The name "" derives from ''pecora'' which means sheep in Italian.
Overview
Of the six main varieties of pecorino, all of which have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) stat ...
cheese and wine.
The bread is thin and crisp, usually in the form of a dish half a meter wide. It is made by taking baked flat bread (made of
durum wheat
Durum wheat (), also called pasta wheat or macaroni wheat (''Triticum durum'' or ''Triticum turgidum'' subsp. ''durum''), is a tetraploid species of wheat. It is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat, although it represe ...
flour, salt,
yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitut ...
, and water), then separating it into two sheets which are baked again. The recipe is very ancient and was conceived for
shepherd
A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...
s, who used to stay far from home for months at a time: ''pane carasau'' can last up to one year if it is kept dry. The bread can be eaten either dry or wet (with water, wine, or sauces). A similar, yeast-free bread, with added seasoning, is known as "dripped bread".
Remains of the bread were found in archeological excavations of
nuraghe
The nuraghe (, ; plural: Logudorese Sardinian , Campidanese Sardinian , Italian ), or also nurhag in English, is the main type of ancient megalithic edifice found in Sardinia, developed during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 B.C. ...
s (traditional Sardinian stone buildings) and it was therefore already eaten on the island prior to 1000 BCE.
References
External links
A video showing the production of Pane carasauHistory of Pane Carasau
{{Flatbreads
Italian breads
Flatbreads
Cuisine of Sardinia
Ancient dishes