Piada dei morti

Piada dei morti
TypeFocaccia
CourseDessert
Place of originItaly
Region or stateRimini, Emilia-Romagna
Main ingredientsRaisins, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts

Piada dei morti (lit. 'piada of the dead') is a sweet focaccia topped with raisins, almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts.[1][2] It is local to Rimini, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy,[3][4][5] and traditionally eaten in November for All Souls' Day.[1][6]

Overview

Though its name suggests that it is a piadina,[1][5] a traditional flatbread also native to Romagna, piada dei morti is a sweet focaccia,[1][2] a soft bread.[2] The association with piadina arises from the piada dei morti's circular shape.[7]

The bread is topped with raisins, almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts.[1][2] The dried fruit must be topped rather than inside the dough. In traditional recipes, piada dei morti contains grape must,[4][7] though modern recipes soak the raisins in Sangiovese wine instead.[1][7]

Piada dei morti is usually served warm,[2][7] for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.[7] It is traditionally eaten in November for All Souls' Day,[1][6] but appears from October,[3][7] including for Rimini's patronal feast, San Gaudenzo, on 14 October,[6][8] and during Halloween trick-or-treating.[2]

Origins

The origins of piada dei morti are contested.[9] In local folklore, the bread is attributed to ancestral recipes from the times of the Celts in Romagna,[1][10] or the Senones.[3][11] On the night of Samhain, mischievous nocturnal domestic elves known as the Mazapégul would visit houses while the spirits of the dead would return to their homes and towns.[1] Piada dei morti emerged as a seasonal delicacy to welcome the deceased spirits.[1][10]

Others attribute the bread to Ciro Brunori, a pastry chef at the Antica Pasticceria Vecchi in Rimini's Borgo San Giuliano,[12] from the early 20th century.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lazzari, Martina (29 October 2023). "Piada dei morti, preparazione e curiosità sulla dolce "piadina" romagnola" [Piada dei morti: Preparation and curiosity about the sweet Romagnol "piadina"]. RiminiToday (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Piada dei morti ricetta dolce facile romagnolo per il 2 Novembre" [Easy recipe for sweet Romagnol piada dei morti for 2 November]. Giallo Zafferano (in Italian). 31 October 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Santini, Enrico (29 October 2023). "La Piada dei Morti di Rimini, qual è la migliore?" [Rimini's piada dei morti: Which is the best?]. Chiamami Città (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b Balzani, Bettina (4 November 2019). "La piada dei morti". Bettina In Cucina (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b D'Anna, Anna Maria (2 November 2021). "Piada dei morti: la più dolce piadina romagnola che nessuno conosce" [Piada dei morti: The sweetest Romagna piadina that no one knows]. Scatti di Gusto (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Nardi, Grazia (12 May 2020). ""An cnusémie al fèsti"" [What they left us]. Rimini Sparita (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Succi, Margherita. "Tra mosto e frutta secca, a novembre arriva la piada dei morti" [Between must and dried fruit, the piada dei morti arrives in November]. Hotel Corallo Rimini (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Rimini, la tombola di San Gaudenzo è sempre una festa - Gallery" [Rimini: The San Gaudenzo tombola is always a party - Gallery]. Corriere Romagna (in Italian). 15 October 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  9. ^ Guiducci, Paolo (29 September 2021). "Grazia Bravetti, storica colonna de ilPonte, è tornata alla Casa del Padre" [Grazia Bravetti, historic columnist of ilPonte, has returned to the House of the Father]. Il Ponte (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b "La Piada dei Morti – Bellaria Igea Marina". Bellaria – Igea Marina (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  11. ^ Fioro, Lia (28 October 2019). "La piada dei morti e le altre ricette tipiche "in zir par l'Italia"" [Piada dei morti and other typical recipes "around Italy"]. San Marino RTV (in Italian). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Rimini, riapre il Bar Vecchi, una storia nata 172 anni fa" [Rimini: Bar Vecchi reopens, a story born 172 years ago]. Corriere Romagna (in Italian). 3 December 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2024.