Schita is a fritter made from water, flour and a pinch of salt and is typical of Oltrepò Pavese, the Apennine area of the province of Pavia which lies south of the Po River and goes up to the border of Liguria.
It has a rounded shape, with dimensions ranging from 10 to 18 centimetres, it weighs approximately 50-60 grams and has a crunchy texture on the outside and a soft texture on the inside.
The historical origins of this recipe are not certain, but the stories told by locals allow us to go back from generation to generation to 1700, when the peasants began their working day with this thin fritter fried in lard.
Like many of the traditional peasant recipes, the Schita originated from the need for practicality: when there was no more bread, a little flour was mixed with water and, a ladle at a time, the mixture was poured into an iron or copper pan greased with lard that was produced using the fat of a pig that the family would raise.
It was fried until it reached the perfect level of golden brown on both sides, the fritter was then eaten immediately, with the addition of a little salt or with a sprinkle of sugar or a little jam if it was prepared as a snack.
Although many now substitute oil for lard when frying, Schita is still an integral part of the Oltrepò gastronomic tradition.
Today it can be found in some restaurants in the area, served as an appetiser or aperitif and consumed, even cold, with local cheeses and cold cuts.
The research activities necessary for the reporting of this product in the Ark of Taste online catalogue were financed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the General Directorate of the Tertiary Sector and Corporate Social Responsibility – notice n° 1/2018 “Slow Food in action: communities protagonists of change”, pursuant to Article 72 of the Tertiary Sector Code, referred to in Legislative Decree No. 117/2017.
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