Welcome to day 6 of 10 naturally vegan series. Yesterday, I shared Lobio, a Georgian bean stew. Click here to check it out! On day six, we travel to Italy for Farinata.
Farinata (also farinata di ceci, cecina, fainâ, or socca) is a type of thin, unleavened pancake or crêpe of chickpea flour originating in Genoa later a typical food of the Ligurian Sea coast, from Nice to Sardinia. Farinata is baked on a tinned copper plate (testo), similar to a large pizza.
Farinata is easy to make and uses just a few ingredients, including water, chickpea flour, salt, and olive oil. Farinata is a thin pancake made from chickpea flour with water and olive oil to create a batter. You allow the batter to ferment, pour the fermented batter into a pan, and bake! The result will be a savory pancake with crispy edges that have been lightly golden by the heat.
If you love bread but are looking for something new, Farinata is perfect for you. Some people use it as an alternative to bread at mealtime. It is traditionally served as street food in Italy and is among Italy's most famous street foods! Because it is vegan, it can be enjoyed by everyone.
Initially, I was going to make Cinque e Cinque. Cinque e Cinque is a popular snack in the Tuscan coast. It's two slices of bread filled with the chickpea pancake. I discovered that Farinata is used universally in Italy and wasn't only served in a sandwich. You can enjoy Farinata by itself, with toppings, in a sandwich, or as a pizza base.
Truthfully, I think I messed up somewhere in the recipe or the recipe failed me. When I first took the dish out of the oven, I immediately knew something was off. It wasn't crispy and looked like a pancake but not like one at all at the same time. The result was incredibly oily. David and I had major stomachaches after we had it. I will say, though, that it was good and had an eggy taste. I want to make this recipe again but use a different recipe.
Recipe from The Spruce
Have you ever made or tried Farinata? Is there a recipe you recommend?
See you tomorrow for day 7!