Italians on Italians
Beyond Toscano

Piadina, Italy’s favorite flatbread

Piadina, Italy’s favorite flatbread
With so much traditional Italian cuisine having its origins in peasant fare, it’s no wonder there are so many different bread-based dishes. But rather than just a side-note as part of a bigger dish, piadina deserves its very own mention.
Piadina is a rustic flatbread, originally from Romagna in northern Italy, made on a griddle. The dough used to make it is usually cooked on a griddle, resulting in a soft, flat bread. Ingredients are often then spread out on it, and the whole thing is rolled up into a wrap. Perfect for lunches, the most common fillings are cheeses and cured meats.
 
Not all piadina is served soft. Bake it a little longer, and instead of a light, foldable wrap, you get a crunchy, toasty biscuit-like bread. You can also cut it in half, to make a top and bottom layer of a sandwich, and add ingredients that may be too heavy, or moist, for the soft version to hold. (Just don’t expect your hands to stay clean while eating it!)
The epitome of great street food, the piadina is to Italy what the tortilla is to Mexico – an affordable, convenient way to enjoy food on the go.