Bread has always been the basic food for the entire Mediterranean basin. Unjustly undermined for a while, bread has returned to take its rightful piace as man's basic nutrient, according to a study conducted by Ancel Keys, Professor of Physiological Hygiene at the University of Minnesota. The study reports on the importance of the "Mediterranean diet" based on olive oil and wine, and claims that bread occupies the first place in order of nutritional value.

In Italy the traditions of bread making are very old indeed. Still today we find several types of bread, very different among themselves. The most representative perhaps are michetta, rosetta, banana, biova, bovolo, ciabatta, ciriola, manina ferrarese and, of course, the pane casareccio, the traditional large-sized, thick-crusted bread which is still a favorite from Tuscany to Sicily.

It is clear that every name given to an individual bread represents a historic or geographical event that in reality or fantasy has played a major role in the tradition of regional bread making. A typical exampie is the Tuscan bread, made without salt, is a classic example of enduring traditions.

During the period of papal dominance, an extremely high salt tax was imposed, so, as a form of protest, the Tuscan bakers decided to abolish salt in the preparation of their bread, a tradition that has been perpetuated until today out of a preference for the taste rather than as an historical imperative. Consequently, the Tuscan prosciutto is much saltier than its Parma or Friuli counterparts, the additional salt making up for the blandness of the bread which generally accompanies prosciutto.

However, in the panorama of Italian bread, we cannot forget grissino, the famous bread sticks from Torino, known the world over, thanks to the many commercially produced versions. Legend has it that grissino was invented by the personal Doctor of the Savoia Family, rulers of Piedmont and Val d'Aosta region in the 17th century who, while caring for the Duke's health, instructed a baker to bake some "gherse", a word from Piedmont dialect which indicates a very long, thin bread.

In 1643, another episode exists noted by the Florentine monk Vincenzo Bucellai. During one of Bucellai's trips, he stopped at an inn in Chivasso (Piedmont) and was served a bread "lungo quanto un braccio e sottile sottile", as long as an arm and very, very thin.

Bread baking is based on a biologica! process that can be partially controlled by the baker. The quality of bread is based on optimal conditions of several factors: flour, water, temperature, fermentation and, finally, baking. To coordinate these factors requires considerable skill. Fortunately today the baker can avail himself of several pieces of machinery that allow a more uniform production and standard of quality. In the northern part of Italy, today, we find that bread is being produced more and more on an industrial level, while in the south this development is much slower. It is therefore easier to find small bakeries that still produce bread on a traditional and regional level.