''Scaccia'' (: ''scacce''), ''scacciata'' or ''schiacciata'' is a Sicilian stuffed

flatbread A flatbread is bread made usually with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are Unleavened bread, unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pita bread. A Se ...

. ''Scaccia'' is made with a very thin rectangular layer of

dough Dough is a malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from flour (which itself is made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops). Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes ...

, folded on itself three or four times. It can be stuffed with different ingredients, the more common variations are ricotta cheese and

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

, cheese and

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

, tomato and onion, or tomato and

eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

, depending on location, taste, or season. It is baked and can be eaten hot or cold. ''Scacciata'' derives from the Sicilian word meaning to drive away, equivalent to the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

word ''schiacciata'', meaning 'to crush' or 'to flatten'. ''Scaccia'' can be found in

Ragusa Ragusa may refer to: Places Croatia * Ragusa, Dalmatia, the historical name of the city of Dubrovnik * the Republic of Ragusa (or Republic of Dubrovnik), the maritime city-state of Ragusa * Ragusa Vecchia, historical Italian name of Cavtat, a t ...

and Siracusa, as well as some Sicilian American communities (namely Middletown, Connecticut).

History

Scaccia appeared at the end of the seventeenth century and was a staple of

peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...

tables. In Sicily, the recipe was handed down and expanded according to the culinary voices of the time. In the rural tables of the

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily (; ; ) was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian peninsula, Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in Kingdom of Africa, Northern Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816. It was ...

and then

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies () was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1861 under the control of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, Bourbons. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by popula ...

, this simple recipe was developed based on bread, vegetables and meat, often utilizing the leftovers of a hearty dinner or a recurring lunch. Oltremodo appeared on Sicilian tables at the beginning of the 18th century with the recipe based on vegetables and potatoes. It achieved its success when Moncada himself, prince of Paternò, in 1763, wanted it on his table during the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

celebrations. Since then, tradition has placed it as a Christmas favorite with a recipe handed down for generations. To date, the ''scaccia'' has a wide diffusion in the Sicilian territory and a significant artisanal marketing.

References

Cuisine of Sicily Flatbread dishes Province of Ragusa Savoury pies Stuffed dishes Street food in Italy {{Italy-cuisine-stub

History

See also

References