The breadstick is one of the most famous products from Torino area, and it is also one of the most famous of Italian cuisine abroad.
The birth of breadsticks dates back to the late seventeenth century, when the court baker Antonio Brunero invented this alternative type of bread to feed the future king Vittorio Amedeo II, frail and unable to digest the common bread’s crumb.
Its name derives from that of ghërsa, the classic Piedmont elongated bread.
The oldest and most traditional form of bread stick is the so-called robatà, typical of the area of Chieri, pronounced rubatà; some say that, traditionally, they were rolled out by hand and then left to rest as if they were tagliatelle.
Among the greatest lovers of breadsticks of Turin, Napoleon Bonaparte must be mentioned. He also created a transport service between Paris and Turin mainly dedicated to this product, which he called les petits bâtons de Turin (sticks of Turin).

Thanks to Il Cibo delle Coccole

Photo by My Little Italian Kitchen