After breakfast, the tramezzini come out.
Originally triangles of soft, crustless, white bread, the tramezzino [tra-meh-dzi-no] is now made rolled or wholewheat but the concept remains the same: it's all about the inside, the bread is merely a messenger.
Tramezzini are found in glass counters of Italian bars with their fillings on display as little pieces of colourful, culinary art.
The perfect mid-meal snack.
The tramezzino was introduced to Italy in 1925 when Caffè Mulassano on Piazza Castello in Turin, added it to their tea-time menu. Inspired by the American club sandwich, it soon became a popular mid-meal “intramezzo” snack and years later became the perfect accompaniment to Aperitivo time in Venice and surrounding areas where in local dialect the "intramezzo" quickly became "el tramesin".
It's all about the inside, the bread is merely a messenger
Tramezzini are served after breakfast, in other words, when the croissant-shaped brioche (Northern Italy) and cornetti (Southern Italy) aren't put out on bar counters anymore. Depending on the region, this is anywhere between 10 and 12 am.
In Italy, where every meal has its moment, breakfast goes with an espresso or cappuccino and tramezzini go with an aperitivo or cold drink.
Make your own.
Tramezzini are easy to make but there are a few strict rules to adhere to,
- the bread is thin, soft and crust-less
- the mayonnaise is minimal and not a feature
- tramezzini need to be made at least 2 hours before serving and kept cold and damp to help the flavours blend and the bread soften.
Allora, now that's out of the way, here's how to make them:
Spread a very thin layer of mayonnaise on both slices of bread and layer your fillings. You can overstuff the centre but make sure some filling reaches the edges of the bread. Roll the bread to create tramezzini rolls or cut them into rectangles or triangles, large or small.
Store your tramezzini in the fridge in a sealed container, with a slightly damp tea towel or kitchen paper-towel underneath and on top for at least 2 hours, then leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
They make great party food and children absolutely adore them!
Our top 10 'classic' tramezzini.
- Prosciutto cotto e funghi cooked ham and tinned mushrooms - our children's all-time favourite :)
- Bresaola, rucola e grana bresaola, rocket and shaved grana
- Porchetta e peperoni porchetta and grilled red peppers
- Mozzarella e pomodoro sliced mozzarella and tomato
- Crudo e brie prosciutto crudo and brie
- Gamberi e insalata prawns and lettuce
- Uova e asparagi boiled egg and cooked asparagus
- Porchetta e radicchio porchetta (sliced roast pork) and radicchio
- Tonno e cippoline tuna and tiny pickled onions
- Granchio e lattuga shredded crab or crabsticks and lettuce
For regional recipes and beautiful Italian food, our cookbook Appetito brings the life, soul and tastes of Italy to your table.
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