Panisse, specialty of the South

When comes the time of long summer tables or other improvised aperitifs, panisse occupies a prominent place.

But do you know this culinary specialty of the South well ?!

If Marseille willingly claims paternity, panisse comes from Liguria. Brought to the 19th century by the Italians when they emigrated to Provence, it has since been present in the south-east of France.

Panisse is made from chickpea flour, olive oil and water and is fried or browned in the oven.

Indian cuisine, for example, has long used the flour from this vegetable.

In fact, chickpeas are naturally rich in vegetable proteins, several vitamins and minerals and dietary fiber. In addition, it is low in fat and does not contain cholesterol.

Panisse comes generally in the form of rolls already prepared and ready to be fried at home.

Panisse is often compared to other specialties from the south, such as the socca from Nice, cade from Toulon or Algerian Calentica specialty from Oran. In Italy, its equivalent is panissa…

A confusion which is also made with the polenta, only composed of corn flour and which comes from Northern Italy.

So many specialties that have one thing in common, they delight all our taste buds.

Finally, here are a few ideas for tasting panisse: as an aperitif served with tapenade, in a mixed salad, for example with grilled eggplant and zucchini or with a green salad, or even with Mediterranean meats or fish ….

There is no shortage of recipes to discover or rediscover the Lanza panisse!