Neccio

Neccio, with the plural necci, is a thin galette made from chestnut flour, typical of mountain districts of Tuscany and Emilia in Italy and of the island of Corsica in France. It goes by many regional names, among them niccio, ciaccio, cian, caccin, panella, castagnaccio and, in Corsica, nicciu. The batter is simply chestnut flour, water and a little salt. Traditionally each neccio is cooked between two heated discs, either testi of fire-quenched sandstone or long-handled iron discs called ferri, with chestnut leaves laid above and below the batter so that it does not stick and picks up their aroma. Stacks of discs are built up in a pile called a castellina, and each batch is ready in two to three minutes. Peasants once ate necci with savory food, while today they are generally treated as a dessert, often rolled around ricotta, sometimes with chocolate chips or candied fruit. Italy has recognised neccio as a traditional agri-food product of Tuscany.