16 Apr La Cecina- traditional dish from Pisa
Italy is not just pasta and pizza! Food for us it is a serious thing!
Don’t forget to taste our traditional dishes and also our street food! An example? The Cecina of Pisa!
After the Leaning Tower you need energy- eat la cecina!
If you are going to Pisa, after taking pictures at the Leaning Tower, recharge your energy with a slice (or a sandwich) of Cecina!!
It’s a dish that can be found in the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, from Genoa to Livorno.
It’s goes by different names, “Fainà”, “Farinata, “torta”, “cade”, but for the people of Pisa it’s just ” La Cecina!”
It’s a savory chickpea cake and it’s a very simple dish: chickpea flour, water, extra virgin olive oil and salt, baked in the oven.
La cecina, a old dish from the tradition
According to the legend, the Cecina was born in 1284, after the famous battle of the Meloria, when Genoa won against the city of Pisa.
The boats of the people of Genoa, full of prisoners, came across a storm. The barrel of olive oil inside the boats fell down and the oil was mixed with chickpeas and salt water.
Because there wasn’t enough food for everybody, they decided to give that mix of chickpeas and oil to the prisoners to eat.
The prisoners refused and they lifted the plates towards the sun.
That sort of “mashed potato” dried and it assumed the shape of a pancake.
The prisoners were starving, and so they decided to eat the mixture, and they discovered that it was good!!
Cecina is good with everything
How do you eat the Cecina?? Two ways: either plain or, like I often do, as a sandwich, with prosciutto or salami!! Where to eat it?
Book a tour with us to Pisa!! You won’t regret it and yes you will taste the best Cecina!
