Scaccia facts for kids
Scaccia (say "SKAH-cha") is a yummy, stuffed flatbread from Sicily, a large island in Italy. It's also called scacciata or sciachiatta. This tasty dish is made from a very thin, rectangular piece of dough. The dough is folded over itself a few times, like a delicious pastry.
Scaccia can be filled with many different ingredients. Some popular fillings include ricotta cheese and onion, cheese and tomato, or tomato and eggplant. The fillings can change depending on where you are in Sicily, what's in season, or what people like best!
Once it's filled, scaccia is baked in an oven. You can eat it warm or cold. The name "scacciata" comes from a Sicilian word that means "to drive away." It's similar to the Italian word "schiacciata," which means "to crush" or "to flatten." You can find scaccia in places like Ragusa and Siracusa in Sicily. It's also popular in some Sicilian-American communities, like in Middletown, Connecticut.
The History of Scaccia
Scaccia first appeared a long time ago, in the late 1600s. It started as a simple meal for farmers and peasants. In Sicily, people kept the recipe alive and added new ideas over time.
This easy dish was made with bread, vegetables, and sometimes leftover meat. It was a common meal in the old Kingdom of Sicily and later the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Scaccia became even more popular in the early 1700s, especially with vegetable and potato fillings. A very important person, Prince Moncada of Paternò, loved it so much that he asked for it to be served at his Christmas celebrations in 1763. Since then, scaccia has become a special Christmas dish for many families. Today, you can find scaccia all over Sicily, and many small businesses make and sell it.
See also
In Spanish: Scàccia para niños
