Saturday, August 29, 2009

Italian Bread Making Cabinet

Italians obviously pay a lot of attention to their variety of breads! They even have a special cabinet called the Madia or Italian bread making cabinet. It seems they have more than 350 varieties, of which 250 are readily available. No wonder they have a special cabinet for it! They even have specialities from each region.

This Madia that I saw in a site is from the Tuscany region and these people specialize in flat breads including rosemary-flavoured schiacciata.Tuscan antiques, even though a subset of Italian antiques seems to enjoy its own prestigious place among European antiques. Madia is the Italian name for a chest used for the making and storage of bread. The top lifts off and the front folds down at the hingers, making wonderful storage. The two doors at the bottom open for additoinal storage as well. The cabinet is from the early 19th century and is made of poplar wood. Bread in the Italian society has always been at the center of any religious, family or social life.

And they take pride in the exquisite furniture they created in the 18th and early 19th century. This site where I was introduced to a Bread Making cabinet and which got me interested in different types of Italian breads also showcases many more Italian antiques, some even quaintly called the ice-box, which I shall talk about in another article! Whether it is their Sardinian carta da musica (thin as sheets of music!!) or Romagna's piadina or the rustic Ciabatta, the study of Italian bread varieties and their cabinets is a very interesting pass time.

Reference sites: http://roundtripimports.net

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