History of the focaccia

The origins of the focaccia are very ancient; already Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Greeks using barley, rye and millet flour they cooked them on the fire; and from the Latin focus derives the etymology of focaccia. In ancient Rome focaccias were offered to the gods and in the Renaissance era consumed together with wine at wedding banquets. Like bread, but richer because of fats, oil or lard, used for the dough or for the dressing, in Italy it has always been particularly widespread. Food for travelers and fishermen the focaccia seems to owe its birth also to the long waiting times that the bakers had to face during work nights, tricked hours by baking pieces of unleavened dough directly on the base of the oven, which once cooked were eaten in the company maybe stuffed with vegetables, meats or cheeses. Today talking about focaccia means running with thought and gluttony towards the Italian region that creates true legends: Liguria that with its countless types of focaccia has established itself in the world gastronomic panorama. In Genoa as early as the 16th century, the consumption of simple oil focaccia was familiar and widespread also in the church, especially during weddings. Even a bishop of the time, concerned about the rooting of the habit, came to prohibit consumption during funeral services. Different versions of focaccia in liguria, these are the most traditional: – Classic of Genoa which must be between one and two centimeters thick, oil-shiny with a never pale and clear rind, and the surface characterized by the presence of holes; – Focaccia di Recco, whose birth would seem to be attested in the XII century. according to a document that mentions a preparation offered to the crusaders leaving for the Holy Land, made with a very thin sheet filled with fresh cheese; – Focri di Voltri, although deriving from the same ingredients from the classic focaccia, it differs in the consistency of the dough and the cooking technique.