Socca: Street food of Nice
Socca
Socca is a cross between a rustic flatbread and pancake that is made from chickpea flour, water, and olive oil and is prepared as a batter, poured into a pan, and baked. In southern France it is usually generously peppered. Some variations include caramelized onions or smoky bacon lardons.
Known throughout Italy and the Côte d'Azur
It is common to Italy and France and called by several different names. Farinata, socca, torta di ceci, or cecina originated in Italy and later became a typical food on the Ligurian Sea coast, from Nice to Sardinia and Elba islands. It is also found in Gibraltar, where it is called calentita.
History
The origin of the dish is unknown. One origin-story says farinata was invented by a group of Roman soldiers who roasted chickpea-flour on a shield.In standard Italian, the dish is called farinata (“made of flour”) while in Ligurian, specifically in the Genoese dialect, it goes by the name of fainâ. In Massa is called “calda calda” that means “hot hot”. In Nice and the Côte d’Azur, it is called socca, in Tuscany, cecina (“made of chickpeas”) or torta di ceci (“chickpea pie”) and in Sardinia fainè. In Uruguay and Argentina it is massively popular and is called fainá.
How it's Made
It is made by stirring chickpea flour into a mixture of water and olive oil to form a loose batter, pouring it into a pan to make a pancake typically 4mm thick, and baking it for a few minutes, traditionally in an open oven in a tin-plated copper baking-pan. Farinata may be seasoned with fresh rosemary, pepper and sea salt. Traditionally farinata is cut into irregularly shaped triangular slices, and eaten (with no toppings) on small plates with optional black pepper. Elsewhere in Italy – traditionally in Tuscany, where it is called cecina (from the Italian word for chickpea, ceci) — it is served stuffed into small focaccia (mainly in Pisa) or between two slices of bread, as it is traditional in Livorno. It is sold in pizzerias and bakeries.
The Fast Food of Nice
Socca is a specialty of southeastern French cuisine, particularly in and around the city of Nice, and is practically the same as farinata, some say the texture is a bit different. It may be baked on a tinned copper plate more than a meter in diameter.
Best Places to Eat Socca in Nice
Wander around the streets of Old Town Nice for long enough, and you’ll soon enough discover that around almost every street corner, there’s yet another vendor selling socca. Some are selling it from store fronts, others from little food stands.
So where to go to eat the best…
Chez Pipo
Address| 13 Rue Bavastro, 06000 Nice, France
For the very best socca in Nice old town, there is no better place, but arrive early. The 300-year old oven (one of the oldest in the city) can be found in the very heart of the restaurant, flanked by long communal tables. Afterwards, be sure to pay a visit to Castle Hill, the very best viewpoint in Nice, that overlooks the Promenade des Anglais.
Chez Thérésa
Address | 28 Rue Droite, 06300 Nice, France
If you are looking for the ultimate streetside culinary experience in the heart of Nice’s old town, then you must visit Chez Theresa. It’s a favorite of restaurant spots along Rue Droite. You can sit inside and inhale the scent of the freshly baked crêpes or alternatively, you can sit on one of the little tables and watch the world go by as you sip on a glass of vin.
And in Monaco
Chez Roger
15 Pl. d’Armes, Monaco-Ville, Monaco
It is one of the Principality’s institutions. “Chez Roger”, in the Condamine market hall, delights customers every day with its soccas and pissaladières, all handmade.