A pesto bun before a meal can be a global collective memory. Whether it's a Japanese-style family restaurant or an American restaurant, these restaurants that serve international cuisine invariably serve a hot pesto bun first, so that the taste buds of gourmets can have a place to rest before the main meal is served.
As a pre-dinner snack, we may pay little attention to the way pesto bread is prepared and seasoned, and its impression is limited to its earthy appearance: thinly sliced French bread, sprinkled with garlic and perhaps with a little cream.
What you may not know is that garlic and French bread are a delicious snack that doesn't originate in France at all. Below, let's solve the mystery of the origin of "pesto bread".
Pesto actually from Italy?
Pesto bread, which is popular all over the world, has a variety of theories about its origin.
First of all, for Americans, pesto bread is undoubtedly the representative food of the United States, but they also admit that pesto was introduced to the United States by Italian immigrants in the 1940s and is often paired with pasta, especially lasagna and spaghetti.
Hearing what the Americans say, Italians want to express their approval, but on the other hand, they feel that there is a difference in their perception. For Italians, pesto bread evolved from Bruschetta, whose invention dates back to the Roman Empire in the fifteenth century.
Olive oil was used instead of cream, and most of the bread was soaked in garlic sauce before being baked, and although the taste was different from the pesto bread that everyone is familiar with today, and most Bruschetta was served with other condiments, perhaps because the bread was used or cooked in a very similar way, pesto bread was definitely the pride of the Roman era for Italians.
However, the French do not buy such confidence in the Italians, because most of the pesto bread in the world is based on French baguettes, which are called "French" baguettes, and pesto is of course included in the French cuisine map.
So, how do you eat pesto bread around the world?
In France alone, pesto bread is eaten in two ways. In the southeastern part of Provence, pesto bread is eaten with salad, also known as chapon. In Kelsey, in the southwest, pesto bread is seasoned with a pinch of salt and walnut oil.
The Greeks would add onions to their bread; Italians are accustomed to putting a thick piece of mozzarella cheese to add flavor; In Brazil, pesto bread is accompanied by kebabs; If you are in Australia and New Zealand, pesto is a supporting role in pizza, and it is a home-cooked food that can be bought in supermarkets. In the UK, olive oil is used instead of cream to give bread a purer taste.
Today, pesto bread is not only eaten in different ways around the world, but also carries different memories of each region, and also creates a complex mystery of its origin. For those who love to enjoy pesto bread, instead of trying to unravel this Rashomon, it is better to try the way to eat it in each country and find your favorite way to taste pesto bread.