Gnocco fritto facts for kids
Gnocco fritto (say "NYOK-koh FREE-toh") is a yummy fried bread from the Emilia region of Italy. It's also called crescentina (say "kreh-shen-TEE-nah"). This bread is made with simple ingredients like flour, water, and lard (a type of fat). Sometimes, tiny bits of pork cracklings are added for extra flavor.
In the Emilia-Romagna area, gnocco fritto is usually cut into diamond shapes. Then, it's fried until it puffs up like a pillow! It often comes with tasty cheese and salumi (cured meats). To help it puff up, bakers might add yeast or baking soda to the dough. If milk is used instead of water, the bread becomes even softer. You can enjoy gnocco fritto as a starter or as a main meal. Even though its name sounds like "gnocchi," it's actually a type of bread, not a pasta.
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What's in a Name?
The name crescentina comes from the Italian word crescere. This word means "to grow." It describes how the bread puffs up and gets bigger when it's cooked.
Different Kinds of Gnocco Fritto
There are a few different ways to make this delicious bread across Italy.
Bologna's Round Version
In the city of Bologna, which is also in Emilia-Romagna, they make a round version. The bread is cut into circles before frying. Sometimes, thin slices of prosciutto (a type of dry-cured ham) are mixed right into the dough.
Grilled Crescentina Modenese
In Pavullo nel Frignano, a town in the Province of Modena, they have a special kind called crescentina modenese. This version is made with lard and yeast. But instead of being fried, it's cooked on a piastrata. This is a type of grill plate, giving it a different texture.
Tuscan Treats
In Tuscany, after the crescentina is fried, people often sprinkle it with salt or sugar. Sometimes, Tuscan salami is added directly into the dough for extra flavor.
Crescia from Gubbio
In the town of Gubbio, in the Province of Perugia, there's a version called Crescia. This one is made with oil and salt and baked in an oven. The name crescia is linked to small pieces of dough. These were given to children to play with, then cooked at the edge of the oven.
Spianata with Cheese
Spianata is another variation. It's made by adding eggs and ricotta cheese to the dough. The word spianata originally meant flat pieces of dough. These were used to test how hot an oven was before baking other foods.
See also
In Spanish: Gnocco fritto para niños
