Zucchini slice explained

Zucchini slice
Image Upright:1.2
Course:Main dish, side dish
Region:Australia and New Zealand
Associated Cuisine:Australia, New Zealand
Creators:-->
Served:Warm, room temperature, hot
Main Ingredient:Zucchini, eggs, cheese, flour
Minor Ingredient:Bacon, onions
Serving Size:100 g
Similar Dish:frittata, quiche, quickbread
No Recipes:true

Zucchini slice is a dish common in Australia and New Zealand that bears similarities to frittatas and quick breads. It consists of zucchini, eggs, cheese, usually bacon, and flour, baked to form a flat loaf. It is then cut into squares and served as a main dish or a side dish, often eaten for lunch.

It is one of a category of similarly-named and -served dishes common in the region, both sweet and savory.

History

In Australia and New Zealand the dish is a "beloved lunchbox staple or café snack", according to the New York Times.[1] It is one of a category of slices, both sweet and savory, common in the region.[2]

The dish may have roots in Europe[3] or the Middle East.

Description

The New York Times calls it "a cross between a frittata and savory quick bread". The main flavors are of egg and cheese.

Ingredients, preparation, and serving

The dish combines zucchini, eggs, cheese, flour, and usually bacon, along with seasonings and sometimes other ingredients.

The dish takes approximately an hour to produce. The zucchini is grated and combined with the other ingredients into a thick batter and baked until firm, typically in a Lamington pan. It is served in flat slices, usually warm or at room temperature, and eaten out of hand. It can also be served hot.[4]

The dish is typically eaten as an entree or a side dish.[5]

Popularity

The dish is a staple in Australia and New Zealand; Australian Women's Weekly introduces their version with the phrase "No introduction needed" and named it to their 2003 list of six "all time reader favourite meals".[6] According to Taste.com.au, it is their most popular recipe.[7] Magic Little Meals refers to it as "a favorite with young and old".[8] According to More it is perennially at the top of online search lists during zucchini season in Australia.[9]

Similar dishes

Dishes similar to the category of slices include bar cookies, frittatas, and sheet cakes. The zucchini slice is most similar to a frittata, although the inclusion of flour makes it according to Lukas Volger similar in texture to "somewhere between a quiche and a savory muffin".

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Clark . Melissa . Melissa Clark . 15 July 2022 . Make the Most of Too Much Summer Squash With the Zucchini Slice . en-US . . 25 August 2022 . 0362-4331.
  2. Book: Volger, Lukas . Snacks for dinner : small bites, full plates, can't lose . 2022 . 978-0-06-314322-7 . 1308436735.
  3. Web site: 31 August 2012 . Zucchini slice . 25 August 2022 . . en.
  4. Book: Faulkner, Lisa . From Mother to Mother: Recipes from a family kitchen . 9 March 2017 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-4711-6085-1 . en.
  5. Web site: How to make a classic zucchini slice . 25 August 2022 . . en.
  6. Book: Bannerman, Colin . Seed Cake and Honey Prawns: Fashion and Fad in Australian Food . 2008 . National Library Australia . 978-0-642-27624-7 . en.
  7. Web site: Zucchini slice . Taste.com.au.
  8. Book: Houbein . Lol . Magic Little Meals: Making the most of homegrown produce . Arbon . Tori . 22 February 2019 . Wakefield Press . 978-1-74305-579-3 . en.
  9. Book: Preston, Matt . More . 29 October 2019 . Plum . 978-1-76078-908-4 . 149 . en.