The difference between bruschettas and crostini was the bread used ,consequently the toppings and presentation.Bruschetta, from the Italian word “bruscare” meaning “to roast over coals” is made by toasting whole, wide slices of a rustic Italian or sourdough type bread.
Most of the time we rub raw garlic on the hot bread and eat drizzling it with extra-virgin olive oil. In Tuscany we add also salt as the bread here is without salt.This is called Fett’unta.A great moment for Fettunta is during Extra Virgin Olive Oil production: it’s so rewarding to taste your just produced EVOO
Crostini and Crostoni are sliced from a smaller, round, finer-textured bread, more like a white bread baguette:the name comes from Crosta , the outside of the bread.The only difference is that crostini is a small slice and crostoni is a big slice
The choice is just done by the topping :a sauce needs a small one, thicker topping need a big one. Toasting usually takes place for certain toppings, not for all.For instance here we have Crostini Empoli as small ones and Crostoni with Black cabbage as big ones.
This is the tradition but nowadays many times people simplify using bruschetta as a name and then we say piccolo or grande , just to mean small or big.In this way we have Crostini al Pesto and Crostoni with Cheese.
Crostini with Black Olives
and Crostoni salsiccia and Stracchino,which are so well known to have a FB page
and Crostini with dried tomatoes
In this family we have many possibilities and they are perfect for aperitif, appetizer and , at the end ,you can have a complete meal with them.Buon appetito !
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