Tramezzino, diminutive of "tra-mezzo" ("in between"), was the name Gabriele D'annunzio gave to the soft triangles of pancarré filled with every delicacy he found at the Caffé Mulassano in Torino in 1926.
Because it was in the Savoia capital that these delicious sandwiches were invented, after Angela De Michelis and her husband Onorino Nebiolo, in 1925, on their return from America, purchased the Caffé Mulassano and decided to introduce these savory delights to the menu. They were inspired by classic American and English tea sandwiches, with a few variations: the bread was not toasted, the crust on the two triangles of pancarré was removed to enhance the softness of the slices and the filling was inspired by traditional Piemontese recipes.
The tramezzino with butter and anchovies was the first of a long series of more than 40 types offered every day, from the very popular tramezzino with lobster to that with truffles, to the tramezzino with veal in tuna sauce or with the typical Piemontese bagna cauda, all perfect, even today, to accompany a glass of vermouth or even for an original breakfast.
