Zucchini slice is a dish common in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

that bears similarities to frittatas and

quick breads Quick bread is any bread leavened with a chemical leavening agent rather than a biological one like yeast or sourdough starter. An advantage of quick breads is their ability to be prepared quickly and reliably, without requiring the time-consumin ...

. It consists of

zucchini Zucchini (; : ''zucchini'' or ''zucchinis''), courgette () or ''Cucurbita pepo'' is a summer squash, a Vine, vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and Fruit anatomy#Epicarp, epicarp (rind) are still soft a ...

, eggs, cheese, usually bacon, and flour, baked to form a flat loaf. It is then cut into squares and served as a main dish or a side dish, often eaten for lunch. It is one of a category of similarly-named and -served dishes common in the region, both sweet and savory.

History

In Australia and New Zealand the dish is a "beloved lunchbox staple or café snack", according to the ''New York Times''. It is one of a category of slices, both sweet and savory, common in the region. The dish may have roots in Europe or the Middle East.

Description

''The New York Times'' calls it "a cross between a frittata and savory quick bread". The main flavors are of egg and cheese.

Ingredients, preparation, and serving

The dish combines zucchini, eggs, cheese, flour, and usually bacon, along with seasonings and sometimes other ingredients. The dish takes approximately an hour to produce. The zucchini is grated and combined with the other ingredients into a thick batter and baked until firm, typically in a Lamington pan. It is served in flat slices, usually warm or at room temperature, and eaten out of hand. It can also be served hot. The dish is typically eaten as an entree or a side dish.

Popularity

The dish is a staple in Australia and New Zealand; ''Australian Women's Weekly'' introduces their version with the phrase "No introduction needed" and named it to their 2003 list of six "all time reader favourite meals". According to ''Taste.com.au'', it is their most popular recipe. ''Magic Little Meals'' refers to it as "a favorite with young and old". According to ''More'' it is perennially at the top of online search lists during zucchini season in Australia.

Similar dishes

Dishes similar to the category of slices include bar cookies, frittatas, and sheet cakes. The zucchini slice is most similar to a frittata, although the inclusion of flour makes it according to Lukas Volger similar in texture to "somewhere between a quiche and a savory muffin".

References