Pissarei e faso”, a poor dish par excellence, is a typical from Piacenza.
The origin
Its origin is uncertain, but very old. It seems to date back to the Middle Ages, when pilgrims, who traveled along the Via Francigena to go to Rome, found in the inns and convents of our territory a bean soup, made of dumplings of bread and flour in a sauce of beans, lard and pork rinds, perhaps waste from the cuisine of the rich.
At that time the beans used were not the borlotti ones, arrived in Europe only after the discovery of America, but the so called “fagioli dell’occhio“(black eyed beans), the only ones known at that time.
In the course of time the recipe underwent some variations, in particular “cacio piacentino”(cheese) was added to the other ingredients.
Anecdote
About “pissarei e faso” is undoubtedly curious the anecdote told by Anna Gosetti in “le ricette regionali italiane” (Italian regional recipes). The author reports that once, when the future daughter-in-law was introduced to the family, the mother-in-law would check the right thumb of the girl to make sure there were calluses, unequivocal signs of her ability to cook “pissarei”.
In June 2010 the “Pissarei” was recognized as Denominazione Comunale d’Origine of Piacenza (Communal Denomination of Origin); the recipe that was deposited is by Carmen Artocchini.
