Side bagnat

History

In Nissart, the dialect niçois, side banhat means “wet bread”, implied of olive oil. Terminology directly derived from the Italian Breads Bagnato, bread wet.

It is at the beginning the snack to carry fishermen and other workers of the morning and elaborate starting from simple and cheap ingredients. Thus, the Thon, which forms now part of its composition in all the merchants, replaced the Anchois. Indeed, the tuna was at and the beginning of the 20th century a expensive fish, compared with anchovy, popular fish. The alternative with tuna is thus the “rich” alternative of the side bagnat.

Its composition has of it a complete, very accessible meal and rapid to be prepared. The side bagnat is easily transportable, which makes him fulfill its function perfectly.

Composition

Its composition is same as that of not less famous the Salade niçoise, i.e. only of the crudenesses of the area niçoise, tuna or anchovy and the egg hard half-compartment out of discs. The whole is copiously sprinkled with little and olive oil Vinaigre, in order to “soak” the bread well, which makes it easier to mastiquer.

Here a list of nonobligatory ingredients usually used: Tomato S, hard-boiled eggs, tuna (the anchovies are preferable), févettes (Fève S young people and tender), Poivron S greens, small Oignon S fresh (cebettes), sheets of basil, Olive S black of Nice, salt and pepper. The bread (a generally round bread) is open completion into two, wet vinegar and of much olive oil and furnished with these ingredients. It can also be beforehand rubbed with garlic.

In particular, certain ingredients are disadvised (in any case do not form part of the traditional receipt), like the Mayonnaise, the Potato, and generally any cooked vegetable.

Culture

In Nice, one finds it in practically all bakeries, thus of course that in all the snack bars.

There exists now a “label of authentic Pan bagnat”, posted in certain merchants of Nice. It is there a humorous reaction to the proliferation of “side bagnats for tourists”, container of the whimsical ingredients. It is to say that the receipt of the side bagnat, with its history of dish of the worker, forms today part in Nice of the inheritance of the popular culture.

The side bagnat also forms part of the folklore niçois as conveyed by the booklets and guides for the tourists and is present in all the descriptions of the kitchen niçoise. The holiday maker who tastes a side bagnat in Nice even makes at the same time act of tourism, being aware that it benefits from an alive tradition. Indeed, although composed of products extremely simple and everywhere available, and just as the Salade niçoise, one will not find easily a side bagnats authentic, i.e. which will satisfy the amateurs, that on the Riviera.

That is due certainly partly to its essential element, hidden when it is looked at, but explicit in its name: olive oil, which must “literally bathe” the bread, which makes that it is so tasty and at the same time difficult to eat it without dirtying the fingers, which takes part even more “experiment of the side bagnat”, or all at least the experiment of the holidays.

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