Bruschetta: Story of a Slice of Bread

Bruschetta (pronounced bru-SKET-ah), like pizza, used to be very simple. It's not hard to imagine its early appearance centuries ago, in one of the many rural parts of central of Italy, where bruschette is believed to have originated. Picture a farmer who works the Tuscan hillside, warming himself at the fireplace before dinner. He'd cut a thick slice of hard bread, wetting it with a bit of water, and then roast it over the coals. When the bread was wonderfully warm and toasted, he'd take a clove of garlic and rub it over the slightly charred top. It started out that simply.

The term bruschetta (the plural form is bruschette) originates from the Latin verb brusicare, "to burn" - and actually refers to the bread itself (though today, in the US, it is often used to refer to the topping instead). So, if we talk about the origins of bruschette, we ought to say a word about the kind of bread that was eaten centuries ago. Most likely, it would have been what we now call sourdough country bread. This bread was baked in community wood-burning ovens located in the outskirts of burgs, villages and small towns. Depending on the size of the village, the oven would be used just a couple of times a month. To keep the bread edible, people would often moisten it with water and reheat it over the fire. The simplest form of bruschetta is probably just about as old as bread itself, and almost as basic.

Today, a Google search for "bruschetta" yields nearly 1,400,000 results. In the last twenty years or so, bruschette has become very popular. The subject is written about in books and magazines; chefs discuss the newest variations on television. In many countries around the world—particularly in the US, UK and Germany—there has been a great interest in this simple way of eating. The idea is skyrocketing. But, in Italy, there has always been just two ways to have a bruschetta:

• Grilled slices of fresh bread, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil.
• Chopped tomatoes, without the seeds and juices, and a few leaves of basil - with some personal variations, of course, such as the addition of garlic, onions and fresh herbs or arugula and extra virgin olive oil.

The widespread popularity of bruschette today is no doubt due to the fact that they are a wonderful way to start a meal - especially when accompanied with a good bottle of wine, or with a summer aperitivo. There is something particularly gratifying about these appetizers because they are usually served warm and provide instant color and festivity to the table. Sometimes bruschette can even be a meal in itself, especially for lunch. Since just about anything that goes well with bread is also suitable for bruschette, the possibilities for fresh toppings are virtually limitless.

Topping Combination Ideas:

• Tuna & Calamata Olives
• Pear, Gorgonzola & Honey
• Tomato, Spinach & Parmigiano
• Prosciutto, Fig & Mascarpone
• Hummus & Black Greek Olives
• Grilled Mushrooms & Gruyere

Some of our favorite Bruschetta Recipes:

• Fresh Tomato Bruschetta with Fried Eggs
• Artichoke, Feta, Tomato & Pesto Bruschetta
• Eggplant Bruschetta
• Blazing Shrimp Bruschetta

Looking for a convenient way to entertain with vibrant, gourmet bruschetta?

• DeLallo Bruschetta
• DeLallo Bruschetta Crisps