Piadina Romagnola

Even though today this griddled Italian flatbread is typically enjoyed as a sandwich (one of the most popular fillings includes prosciutto, creamy soft cheeses like squacquerone, tomatoes, and a handful of peppery wild arugula), Piada or piadina Romagnola was once merely a staple of the poor, often made with maize flour and called la pjida ad furmantoun in Romagnolan dialect. In his poem entitled La Piada, which is sort of an ode to the beloved Romagnolan piadina, a 19th century Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli calls it "the bread of poverty, humanity, and freedom", describing it as "smooth as a leaf and as big as the moon." Since then, the humble, rustic piadina has come a long way and even today takes a special place in the regional cuisine, having been awarded the Protected Geographical Indication status. Le piadine, in plural, can take virtually any ingredients as their filling, and they can be easily found freshly prepared at numerous street kiosks called piadinerie, as it is best to eat a piadina only minutes after it comes off the cast-iron griddle while it's still pliable and warm - the perfect frame for the almost-melting soft cheese and delectable, thinly sliced charcuterie.