Recipes

It began with a simple slice of bread rubbed with olive oil and transformed into countless recipes and worldwide popularity. What makes bruschetta so special?

Bruschetta (pronounced brü-ˈske-ta), like pizza, used to be very simple. It's not hard to imagine its early appearance centuries ago, in one of the many rural parts of central of Italy, where bruschette is believed to have originated: Picture a contadino (someone who works the land) in the Tuscan hillside, warming himself at the fireplace before dinner. He'd unceremoniously cut a thick slice of hard bread, wetting it with a bit of water, and then roast it over the coals. When the bread was wonderfully warm and toasted, he'd take a clove of garlic and rub it over the slightly charred top. Ecce bruschetta! (This is bruschetta!) It started out that simply.

The term bruschetta (the plural form is bruschette) originates from the Latin verb brusicare, "to burn" - and actually refers to the bread itself (though today, in the US, it is often used to refer to the topping instead). So, if we talk about the origins of bruschette, we ought to say a word about the kind of bread that was eaten centuries ago. Most likely, it would have been what we now call sourdough country bread, made with grey flour - that is, a whole-wheat bread from which not all the bran has been removed. This bread, or variations of it, was baked in community wood-burning ovens located in the outskirts of burgs, villages and small towns. Depending on the size of the village, the oven would be used just a couple of times a month. To keep the bread edible, people would often moisten it with water and reheat it over the fire. The simplest form of bruschetta is probably just about as old as bread itself, and almost as basic.

Today, a Google search for "bruschetta" yields nearly 1,400,000 results. In the last twenty years or so, bruschette has become very popular indeed. The subject is written about in books and magazines; chefs discuss the newest variations on television. In many countries around the world - particularly in the US, UK and Germany - there has been a great interest in this simple way of eating, which sometimes is not kept so simple. The idea is skyrocketing. But, in Italy, there has always been, and still are, basically just two ways to have a bruschetta. The first consists of a grilled slice of fresh bread, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. This was also a tradition at the frantoio (olive oil mill) where farmers were eager, in late autumn, to taste the freshly pressed green oil. (It is interesting to note that for centuries, olive oil was not available to most people: Landlords were not so keen on giving the precious oil to their workers or contadini. The workers more generally ate air-cured pork lard, which was usually more accessible.) The second traditional Italian bruschetta is made with chopped tomatoes, without the seeds and juices, and a few leaves of basil - with some personal variations, of course, such as the addition of garlic, onions and fresh herbs or rughetta (arugula) and extra virgin olive oil.

The widespread popularity of bruschette today is no doubt due to the fact that they are a wonderful way to start a meal - especially when accompanied with a good bottle of wine, or with a summer aperitivo. There is something particularly gratifying about these appetizers because they are usually served warm and provide instant color and festivity to the table. Sometimes bruschette can even be a meal in itself, especially for lunch. Since just about anything that goes well with bread is also suitable for bruschette, the possibilities for fresh toppings are virtually limitless. Vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers can be used raw - chopped with just a bit of olive oil, garlic and herbs. Grilled zucchini and eggplant make great toppings; cooked artichokes and mushrooms are also favorites.

These toppings can also be combined with various cheeses like mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmigiano, or goat cheese. Due to the very small amount of vinegar used, all the toppings also make a great base for certain pasta sauces - particularly tasty with the addition of other vegetables, quickly sautéed with a bit of olive oil, or cream. They are also ideal as enhancements for curry dishes - curry, by the way, has begun to be incorporated in pasta recipes in many Italian restaurants today. Adding just a spoonful of one of these toppings will provide a real zing to your favorite recipes.

Quick Tip: When making Bruschette, don't grill the bread for too long. It should be crunchy but still moist. Any good quality, fresh bread can be used, but try to avoid industrially produced bread, or any bread that tends to break into crumbs. It is difficult to prepare bruschette with such bread, and more importantly, difficult to eat them.

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