Panini (sandwich)

File:Mortadella IMGP0973.jpg

Panini with mortadella

Panini (Template:IPAc-en), nowadays less commonly called panino (), are sandwiches made with Italian bread (such as ciabatta and ), usually served warm after grilling or toasting.

In many English-speaking countries, the name is given to a grilled sandwich made using various breads. The bread is cut horizontally and filled with deli ingredients, and often served warm after having been pressed by a warming grill.

Etymology

Template:Refimprove section is a word of Italian origin. In Italian, the noun (; Template:Plural form: ) is a diminutive of (Template:Literally) and refers to a bread roll. (Template:Literally) refers to a sandwich, but the word is also often used alone to indicate a sandwich in general.

In English dominant countries, is widely used as the singular form, with the plural form or , although some speakers use singular and plural as in Italian.

History

Although the first US reference to panini dates to 1956, and a precursor appeared in a 16th-century Italian cookbook, the sandwiches became trendy in Milanese bars, called , in the 1970s and 1980s. Trendy US restaurants began selling panini, with distinctive variations appearing in various cities.

During the 1980s, the term arose in Italy to denote a member of a youth culture represented by patrons of sandwich bars, such as Milan's , and Italy's first US-style fast food restaurants. were depicted as right-leaning, fashion-fixated individuals, delighting in showcasing early-1980s consumer goods as status symbols.

See also

• List of sandwiches