Italian Savoury Breads
History of Grissini
Would you believe that in the 1860s Grissini Breadsticks were created to prevent the spread of disease.
As unbelievable as it sounds, the humble Breadstick from Piedmonte contributed to curing a sick Prince and became a famous staple dietry savoury bread throughout Italy.
Around 1675, the young Duke Vittorio Amadeo di Savoia was so sick he couldn’t keep anything down so Carlo Emanuele II asked a baker from Turin, Antonio Brunero, to create something that the young duke could digest. The request was for something ‘long, light and subtle’. From his ovens, Antonio produced a thin crispy breadstick called Ghersino, a smaller version of Ghersa, which was a long thin bread. His creation was a great success and the bread became so popular it entered the daily life of the Torinesi and later the whole of Italy.
The young Duke (who was also a Prince) ate the breadsticks until he recovered from his illness, thus saving the monarchy and also initiating a new food sensation to the Country. A little later, while parts of Italy were under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte, the breadsticks became a court favourite as he appreciated this Torinese specialty as well. Known only for a short while as ghersino, the breadsticks soon became Grissini with two variations: Stirato (straight) and Rubata (hand rolled).
The Grissini dough is identical to bread and is produced only with Extra Virgin Olive Oil making them more crisp and flavoursome. These days they are used in place of crackers or appertisers before the main meal arrives, but they really come into their own when prosciutto is wrapped around their long golden stems. The traditional recipe for Grissini torinesi continue to be made by Vita Vigor in Milan and are recognised as the best and finest Grissini in Italy.
