The chickpea farinata is a recipe of Ligurian origins, typical of the street food from the Tyrrhenian coast and Sardinia. An ancient recipe was already cooked by Roman soldiers directly on the shield, while the classic street food we know today is traced back to a legend. Following the Battle of Meloria (1284), on some galleys of triumphant Genoa barrels containing chickpea flour were overturned, mixing with sea water. Everything possible was collected and served to the rowers who, at first, refused to eat. The meals dried and hardened in the sun, giving rise to the first farinata.
On the mainland the recipe was then perfected, envisaging baking in the oven on copper trays, and it spread widely in Liguria and nearby Tuscany, so much so as to be considered the original recipe of the Ligurian capital. Here it is called “Faìna” and served in typical venues frequented by artists (Fabrizio De Andrè first among them) called “Sciamadde” along with wine. From Zena to Savona, it is a true “street must” on the region's coastline, but also renowned in Pisa and Livorno, where it takes the names of “cecina“, “torta” or “cinqueecinque” if used as a filling for pancakes or sandwiches.
