Blog #1
Fugazza. A Genovese dish combining mozzarella from Campania, a dough hybrid between a Neapolitan pizza and a Genovese focaccia, onions and herbs. A dish that brings together regional Italian recipes and ingredients in a uniquely Genovese style. Ever had one of these in Italy? I can answer on your behalf; probably not. The reason why is because you will struggle to find this dish outside of Argentina.
Don't get me wrong, of my many trips to Italy I've had many Genovese focaccias (fugàssa), Neapolitan pizzas and the most marvellous bufalo and fior di latte mozzarella from Campania, Lazio and Apulia, never though have I found a fugazza.
The word fugazza has such a clear italianness to it yet ask a local what it means and you're unlikely to get an answer.
The fugazza has its origins from one of the 10,000 Genovese immigrants that made its way to the La Boca neighbourhood of Buenos Aires by 1855. The Genovese immigrants made up 10% of the whole city's population at the time, not even including other Italian region's immigrants. During this time, the majority of Italians living in Italy would have been secluded to only their surrounding region's culinary ingredients and recipes, so Buenos Aires became the world's breeding ground for hybrid Italian dishes that combined ingredients and traditions from Italian regions far between. Meanwhile one neighbourhood away, San Telmo, received an influx of Neapolitan immigrants, leading to the creation. The fugazza merged the Genovese tradition of the onion focaccias with Napoli's white base pizza's.
The fugazza blurs the line of what we can consider authentic. A dish with an Italian name, using Italian ingredients, created by Italians, merging two of Italy's regional dishes, the only caveat being that it was created a mere 11 thousand kilometres from its origin.
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