Bruschetta (pronounced brü-ske-ta), like pizza, now commands attention as a gourmet treat — but 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 bruschetta is believed to have originated.
Picture a farmer in the Tuscan hillside, warming himself at the fireplace before dinner. He'd unceremoniously cut a thick slice of hard bread, wet 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 United States, it is often used to refer to the topping instead. So, if we talk about the origins of bruschetta, 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, made with gray flour — that is, a whole-wheat bread that still contains some bran.
This bread, or variations of it, 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. Bruschetta is probably just about as old as bread itself — and almost as basic.
Many variations of bruschetta
Today, an online search for "bruschetta" yields millions of results. In the last twenty years or so, bruschetta has become very popular indeed. The subject is written about in books and magazines, and chefs discuss the newest variations on television. In many countries around the world — particularly in the U.S., U.K. and Germany — there has been a great interest in this simple way of eating, which sometimes is not kept so simple. The concept has exploded in popularity. But, in Italy, there has always been, and still are, basically just two ways to prepare bruschetta.
The first preparation method consists of a grilled slice of fresh bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. This was also a tradition at the olive oil mill, where farmers were eager, in late autumn, to taste the freshly pressed green oil.
It is interesting to note that for centuries, olive oil was not available to most people. Landlords were not so keen on giving the precious oil to their workers. The workers more often ate air-cured pork lard, which was usually more accessible.
The second traditional Italian bruschetta is made with chopped tomatoes without the seeds and juices, and with a few leaves of basil. There are some personal variations, of course, such as the addition of garlic, onions and fresh herbs or arugula — and olive oil.
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Suggested bruschetta side dishes