Piadina

Piadina is thin Italian flat bread similar to a Mexican tortilla that is typical to the South Romanian region of Italy. It is present at every event, whether formal or informal. She learned it from her family who lived in the country side. She says that she has only seen it in the South region of Rome. It is usually eaten with very simple ingredients like ham, broccoli, and cheese. She believes it is because they are cheap and easy to get.

I found it interesting that she wanted to make it clear that no other Italians except for the ones in the region mentioned knew how to make proper piadina and they were the only ones who ate it regularly. Food is a big factor when telling groups apart. When we think of Italy we usually think about pastas and of course pizza. Yet, pizza is typical of Napoli not all of Italy, although the majority of Italians do eat pizza. She wanted to make it clear that piadina is the food that made that region special gastronomically speaking.

Reference:

May, Tony. Italian Cuisine: The New Essential Reference to the Riches of the Italian Table. Italy: Macmillan, 2005. p. 63