About Italian Bruschetta

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese. The most popular recipe outside of Italy involves basil, fresh tomato, garlic and onion or mozzarella. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer and In some countries, a topping of chopped tomato, olive oil and herbs is sold as bruschetta.

In Italy, bruschetta is often prepared using a brustolina grill. In the Abruzzo region of Italy a variation of bruschetta made with a salame called ventricina is served. Raw pork products and spices encased in pig bladder are aged and the paste spread on open slices of bread which are sometimes grilled. This was a way of salvaging bread that was going stale. In Tuscany it is called fettunta and it is usually served without toppings, especially in November, to taste the very first oil of the season.

Around 1990, appetizer and hors d'oeuvres menus around the country started featuring bruschetta. Early versions of the toasted bread snack were commonly topped with fresh basil, chopped tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, a combination of garlic bread and French bread pizza. Diners embraced the concept with fervor and the choice of toppings increased with demand.

Interesting Fact:

The original, unadorned bruschetta was the poor man's version of garlic bread. The toast was merely flavored with garlic essence instead of having pieces of garlic served on the surface of the bread. As the hors d'oeuvre gained popularity in America, olive oil and garlic remained part of the recipe but the traditional Italian toppings were frequently replaced with sausage, cheese, pancetta, mushrooms, olive spread and truffles.