The theory and practice of bread with tomato

Tag : tomato
Pa amb Tomaquet is, at its most basic, a slice of country breadwith ripe tomato squeezed and pressed on to it, finished with someolive oil and a little salt. For those used to eating the tastelessred fruits that emerge from Dutch hothouses throughout the year,the appeal will be elusive. Taste a real tomato from theMediterranean, a sensationally taste in its own right, and thencombine it with a bread that's more than a cut above Mother'sPride, and the appeal becomes clearer. Add a touch of garlic, agood quality local oil and sea salt, and everything drops intoplace. This is real food, Barcelona food!

You can now add a little mystique to the mix. Catalans will debateendlessly whether the bread should be a fresh country loaf, or onethat's a day old, or even older. Or should the bread be lightlytoasted? Is garlic an essential ingredient or should a slice ofSerrano ham be added? Will any Spanish olive oil do, or should itbe a local Catalan oil?

Then there is the question of who does the work. Should the Pa ambTomaquet be assembled by the restaurant or bar staff, or should theingredients be brought to the table so you can do the workyourself, exactly as you know it should be done? Debates can go onendlessly, all adding to the interest of this simple dish.

Surprisingly, Pa amb Tomaquet hasn't a history that goes backcenturies. It's thought to date back only to 1800's - it wasmentioned in an 1884 cookery book - but its origins are unclear.Leopold Pomes, who wrote of the 'Theory and Practice of Bread withTomato' in 1984 claims this was invented by a painter who wanted tocombine the colours of the sunset on an edible base! This soundsfanciful and others reckon it was more likely a local looking for atasty way to use up the previous days bread and a glut oftomatoes.

What we do know is that the tomato first came to Spain in the 16thCentury. It originated in Peru and soon found it's way to Spain onthe galleons bringing back the gold and silver of the New World. Itwas called the 'Golden Apple' in South West France and, curiously,this name has stuck in Italian - Pomodoro.

For several hundred years, the tomato was simply a decorative plantas it was thought to be a poisonous fruit! It was, however, theSpanish who first dared use it in cookery. Before long it spreadacross the Europe and became the basis of cuisines all around theMediterranean, and further afield such as in Hungary.

Next time you are Barcelona, do try some Pa amb Tomaquet. It won'tbe hard to find. Once you are aware of this simple dish, avoidingit will be more of a problem! As you eat it, perhaps accompanied bya local botifarra sausage, or perhaps goats' cheese, or anchovies,ponder how such a simple dish can be so good, and how a piece ofbread rubbed with a ripe tomato can create so much debate. It maywell be one of the 'gastronomic' highlights of your city break inBarcelona.