Panino Italiano Day 

I asked Instagram users, in a poll, what their favorite sandwich was. On the podium is the rosette with Lazio mortadella. Here are the survey data. Street food, packed lunch, save dinner (and lunch). Call it what you will, yet the sandwich is the most famous meal in Italy, so much so that today we celebrate Panino Italiano Day. Between two slices of bread, with or without breadcrumbs, bland or salty, the length and breadth of the country each region has declined the sandwich in a typical version. But what is the most consumed sandwich in Italy? On this special day, I wanted to pay homage to him with a poll on my Instagram profile. In Instagram stories, I asked users, with a survey, to tell me which was their favorite sandwich among the eight most famous regionals. The options were these: Rosetta with mortadella (Lazio), Michetta with cooked ham (Lombardy), Pane e panelle (Sicily), Sandwich with lampredotto (Tuscany), Neapolitan Panuzzo (Campania), Panonta molisana (Molise), Pani câ meusa (Sicily), Puccia pugliese (Puglia).

With 33% of the votes, the rosette with mortadella wins. The Lazio puffed bread with the most pop sausage there is is among the top preferences of Instagram users when it comes to sandwiches. In Rome it is an institution and the inhabitants of the capital love it so much that, over the years, they have created another winning combination: pizza and mortazza (white pizza by the slice crunchy with mortadella). In second place, with 24% of the votes, the Neapolitan panuozzo climbs the podium. Campania brings into the hands of sandwich lovers, a version rich in taste: an elongated sandwich made with pizza dough, stuffed with mozzarella, tomatoes but also sausage, broccoli, provolone and mushrooms. In third place comes the Apulian puccia with 16% of the votes. The sandwich is typical of Salento, the provinces of Lecce and Taranto. It is seasoned with vegetables, but also with tomato seeds, ricotta forte and onions, capers and anchovies.

The "mistreated" sandwich of Molise

No, I didn't want to make this joke, but it "pains" me to say that even in the sandwich survey, "Molise doesn't exist". Only 2% of users voted for the Molise panonta. But what is it? It is attributed to the municipality of Miranda, in the province of Isernia, and is a sandwich stuffed with several layers. More than a sandwich, it looks like a gastronomic panettone. The loaf is chunky and the weight is almost a kilo, if not two. It is sliced like a club sandwich or a gastronomic panettone and the accompaniment is made up of ingredients from the poor cuisine of the peasants such as omelette, peppers, crumbled sausage or even cod.