Panzanella – the Italian salad with tomatoes and old bread

Simplicity and freshness - these are the two main characteristics of panzanella, the salad typical for central Italy, especially for the Toscana region. It was created out of the desire (and need) not to waste bread - such a valuable food item and the base of this dish.

Thanks to its fresh and seasonal ingredients: ripe tomatoes, red onions, fresh cucumbers, basil, olives and capers, panzanella is the perfect summer lunch on days when temperatures exceed 30 degrees and you don't think of cooking.

Find the recipe here.

WHO INVENTED PANZANELLA?

There are two theories about the original panzanella recipe. The first leads us to the rural attitude towards food, which says that nothing is ever thrown away, especially if it is such a precious food item as bread, which in ancient times was baked once a week or even less often. The need to use up bread, even if it has already completely dried out, led to the idea of ​​soaking it and enriching it with seasonal vegetables.

Another theory connects this recipe with fishermen and their habit of soaking dry bread in seawater before consumption for longer stays at sea.

HOW WAS PANZANELLA CREATED?

Since it is a dish full of vegetables, it is easy to associate it with country cuisine. There are no grains or legumes in it, but only dry bread and ripe summer seasonal vegetables. Therefore, it is possible that this refreshing, but also filling salad was created as a need of rural women to feed many mouths with little money.

It is a dish that arose out of necessity and was passed down from generation to generation, so, logically, there is not just one official recipe.

Despite the different theories about its creation and origin, it is certainly an old traditional dish whose traces can also be found in the works of Italian classics such as Boccaccio or Bronzino.

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME PANZANELLA

In addition to doubts about the origin of panzanella, there are also doubts about its name. Some claim that this name is actually a combination of the Italian words "pane" (bread) and "zanella", which in the Italian dialect means a deep dish or soup bowl. Another theory connects this name with the term "pappa", which in Italian cuisine is the name for an extremely thick soup, usually made with tomatoes.

Panzanella was created in Tuscany, where since ancient times there was a tradition of using dry bread as the basis of poor dishes that over time became a symbol of the local culture. However, today this simple but extremely tasty dish is prepared throughout central Italy, especially in the regions of Umbria, Marche, and Lazio.

ALL VERSIONS OF PANZANELLA

As we have already said, there is no single and unique recipe for panzanella. Its preparation varies practically from family to family and from trattoria to trattoria. Hard-boiled eggs are added to the basic recipe in some regions, in some places tuna, pickled vegetables, and in some places you will find thyme instead of basil. In any case, whatever you add to your panzanella, you can hardly go wrong. No matter how you prepare it, it will be a perfect summer meal.