Farinata (which literally means floured) is a thin, crisp, pizza-like pancake from Liguria, Italy which is also eaten in Alessandria and is similar to the socca from Nice, France. It is made stirring chickpea flour into a mixture of water and olive oil to form a loose batter, and baking it in the oven. Farinata may be seasoned with fresh rosemary, pepper and sea salt. Like pizza, it may also be topped with onions, sausages, artichokes, gorgonzola cheese or other ingredients. In Argentina farinata is still known as "fainá", its original Genoese name. It is widely eaten, usually on top of pizza. In Gibraltar, where a significant portion of its population is of Genoese origin, it is known as "calentita" when it is baked or "panissa" when it is fried. They are typically eaten plain, without any toppings. These are considered to be Gibraltar's national dishes. The name in Genoese indicates a solidified polenta-like paste which can then be cut into strips to be fried, assuming the name panissette.
