The Origins Behind The Farinata Di Ceci

Farinata di Ceci is a very low, salty cake made with chickpeas flour, water, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. In Sardinia, they also add onions, anchovies, and sausages to it.
Also known as fainà, this dish originates from the region of Liguria and has been imported to Tuscany thanks to Genevan prisons.

But how was the Farinata di Ceci invented?

There are many Latin and Greek roots to this dish, however, like most recipes, it has been discovered by coincidence or accident.

The popular legend narrates that when Pisa has been defeated by the Genoa in 1284 in The battle of Meloria, the Genoan Galleys got caught in a storm.

The galleys were thrown around by the fury of the storm, and in the process, many of the barrels containing olive oil and chickpeas flour tipped over, and everything got mixed with the sea’s salt water.

They tried to recoup the losses, although they couldn’t save much, and had to manage with what was left. So, they resorted to serving the seamen a pure of chickpeas flour and olive oil.

The seamen were not happy about that, and so they left this mixture to sit out in the sun, as a form of protest. However, they couldn’t resist the hunger, so the next day they resorted to eating the mixture, which had turned into a sort of pancake.

Surprised by the unexpected delightful taste, the seamen took the recipe back to land in Genoa, where they perfected the cooking process using wood ovens. Everyone liked the result, and being petty, they called the recipe: “The Gold of Pisa”.

Nowadays the Farinata di Ceci is prepared along the Ligurian coast in Friggitoria shops.

Italian Variations:

• On the Tuscan coast, south of Liguria, especially in the province of Pisa, Livorno, and Lucca the torta di ceci is baked with no rosemary used for toppings.
• In Sassari, Sardinia, due to the historical ties with Genoa, the genoese fainé is a typical dish.
• In Savona province (near Genoa), a version of farinata called farinata bianca (white farinata) is made with wheat flour instead of chickpea flour.
• The name panissa or paniscia in Genoese indicates a solidified boiled polenta-like paste, made with the same ingredients as farinata. It can be cut into strips and fried, called panissette.
• In Genoa, variants of the farinata include sometimes onions or artichokes, but the most famous derivative recipe is the fainâ co i gianchetti (“farinata with whitebait”), at times hard to find due to fishing regulations, but traditionally seen as the quintessential fainâ.