 Grissini in a restaurant in Turin | |
| Alternative names | Grissini, grissini torinesi |
|---|---|
| Type | Bread |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Turin, Piedmont |
| Created by | Antonio Brunero (traditionally) |
| Main ingredients | Flour, water, yeast |
Breadsticks, or grissini (Piedmontese: ghërsin pms) or grissini torinesi, are sticks of crisp, dry baked bread, usually the size of a pencil.
Before 1643, a Florentine abbot described a long and "bone-thin" bread, possibly breadsticks, being made in Lanzo Torinese, a town near Turin in the region of Piedmont. It is said breadsticks were invented in 17th-century Turin by the local baker Antonio Brunero to cure Victor Amadeus II of Savoy's health problems.
In restaurants in Italy, bread is often served with meals. Breadsticks are served as an appetizer (antipasto), especially in their traditional shape, sometimes replacing other types of bread. Ingredients such as prosciutto may also be added. In the United States, this is done in a similar way. Most breadsticks are pencil-sized and hard, but some are larger or soft.
In many North American restaurants, notably Olive Garden, breadsticks are soft, served as appetizers and often topped with butter, garlic, and cheese, or can be topped with cinnamon, sugar or icing instead as a dessert.
Pre-made breadsticks are also eaten as a snack or an appetizer. In Italy, they are often eaten on their own. In the United States, they are usually served with a dip (e.g. cheese).
