A soft melody wanders through a dimly lit restaurant, mixed with the clinking of glasses and the low murmur of quiet conversations. A waiter passes by and lowers a white plate onto the table to your left. Curious, you glance over to see what they’re eating: slices of bread coated with a layer of tomato pulp.
You call the waiter over and ask, “What kind of dish did you just bring out?”
She tells you it’s Pan con Tomate, a Catalan specialty. Fresh tomato is rubbed on toasted slices of bread, then drizzled with oil and salt. Intrigued, you decide to order it.
Before we get to how delicious it is, let’s explore this dish’s origins and cultural significance. At the end, you’ll learn how to make it with a step-by-step recipe!
History of This Dish
Pan con tomate, or “bread with tomato,” is a common side dish that can be found in many restaurants in Barcelona. If you’re looking at a traditional “Tapas” (small plates) menu, you likely won’t see it listed. It’s more common to ask for “una ración” (a larger serving) of pan con tomate.
Tomatoes are not native to Spain. They were imported from America after the 15th century. Nèstor Luján, the late Catalan journalist and culinary expert, says the first written reference to tomatoes in Spain was back in 1884.
Pan con tomate is a variation of the traditional Mediterranean style of eating bread with olive oil. This practice has been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks. As the tradition spread through Europe over the centuries, it took on many different forms.
Similar Dishes in Europe
In Nice, France, there is a kind of hors d'oeuvre called pan bagnat. It’s a salad of vegetables, fish, eggs, and olive oil sandwiched between two halves of a small loaf of bread.
In Malta, they serve a crusty bread smeared with tomato paste and topped with olive oil. To add more flavors, Maltese people add toppings like tuna, olives, capers, and onions.
Additionally, the Italians’ bruschetta is another kind of bread dish served with oil. Bruschetta can come with a variety of toppings such as tomato, beans, vegetables, and cheese.
Cultural Significance in Spain
Luján said people would have used fresh tomato pulp as a way to make hard, stale bread soft and edible again. This simple and quick fix helped make meals out of leftovers and scraps.
Sofia De Leon's family has lived in Spain for more than 170 years.
"My grandma has this recipe that she always follows perfectly when she makes pan con tomate. It's been passed down from mother to daughter for several generations."
Pan con tomate was always a very economical option, which is why it has survived as a specialty in Spain for hundreds of years. De Leon was hesitant to share the recipe, but she explained some of her secret tricks.
"If you like garlic, take a fresh clove and scrape it on the bread before you put tomato on," says De Leon. "It adds such a great flavor."
Along with special additions, long-standing traditions usually come with certain standards. Spaniards are often very particular about how pan con tomate is prepared.
Ingredient Specifications
First, let’s start with the bread. For the most authentic pan con tomate (without actually using stale bread), you must use a fresh loaf of sourdough. Specifically, an artisan loaf with an open crumb is optimal to allow the bits of tomato to permeate the surface.
Traditionally, Catalan recipes use a rustic sourdough bread called pa de pagès, but that might be a little difficult to find.
It would be best to go to a bakery and ask for a loaf of artisan sourdough bread. It should be crusty on the outside with a distinctly soft inside.
More important than your choice of bread is your choice of tomato. Not all tomatoes are created equally.
There are juicy tomatoes like beefsteak tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes. Using these on your pan con tomate would completely saturate the bread with juice and destroy its structural integrity. You’d be left with a very soggy meal.
The best kinds of tomatoes to use for pan con tomate are paste tomatoes such as plum tomatoes and hanging tomatoes. Roma tomatoes, a variety of plum tomatoes, have a dryer, grainier texture, which makes them great to spread on bread.
Manuel Soto is a host at a restaurant in Barcelona called El Nacional. He describes how the chefs prepare their tomatoes for pan con tomate.
"For that dish, we use hanging tomatoes and we leave them in our pantry to dry for a month before we use them. The tomatoes are perfect when they get dehydrated."
Next, the oil must be extra virgin olive oil. Oil isn’t cheap, so anything you get at the supermarket should be fine, but you might want to invest in the top-shelf stuff for the best results. When evaluating extra virgin olive oil quality, keep in mind that the brand, labeling, and certification can be key indicators of value.
Olive oil can be made from several kinds of olives. Any of these kinds of olive oil will be fine, but each will affect the taste of your pan con tomate in different ways.
Lastly, any salt will be sufficient for sprinkling on top, but sea salt is preferred. Now, let’s put these tips into action and make pan con tomate at home!
An Authentic Recipe
It’s time to eat like a Mediterranean! Here’s how to prepare your own pan con tomate.
The ingredients you will need for one serving:
One slice of artisan sourdough bread
One paste tomato
One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper (optional)
Step 1. Toast your slice of bread.
Depending on the width of your loaf, you may have to cut the slice in half.
Step. 2 Cut your tomato in half and scrape the flesh of the tomato across the surface of the toasted bread. The holes in the bread will act as a cheese grater to collect the pulp of the tomato.
Step 3. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil on top.
Step 4. Sprinkle salt over the oil.
Step 5. (Optional) Add black pepper on top for added flavor. You can also add ham such as jamon Iberico or jamon Serrano.
From the time of the Ancient Greeks to present day, the tradition of eating bread with olive oil has lived on. It spread through other cultures, evolving over time.
Pan con tomate is Spain's version, and it is remembered, enhanced, and celebrated every day.
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