Food - Drink
Socca: The French Street Food You Should Know
By CYRENA GOURDEAU
French cuisine might call to mind labor-intensive, highly-involved dishes like beef bourguignon, ratatouille, and coq au vin, however, there are some examples of quick and easy French food, like French street food. Crepes are a classic French street food, along with socca, a chickpea-based street food found in many open-air markets.
Socca is a cross between a pancake and a flatbread, and it relies on simple ingredients like chickpea flour, olive oil, and water. Once the batter is prepared, it’s poured into a shallow pan and baked in a hot oven until it becomes golden and crispy. Once done, socca is sprinkled with black pepper and cut into bite-sized pieces to be enjoyed while walking around.
Socca comes in many different varieties throughout France and northern Italy, where it’s called farinata and incorporates rosemary and sometimes red onion. Cade is another chickpea snack variant found in Provence, France, with a thicker, moist, and chewy consistency rather than a thin, crispy one. A sweet version has also been made with sugar and fresh fruit.