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Best Zuppa pavese in San Francisco

“Hot broth poured over crisp bread and a raw yolk—the egg cooks into silk in seconds.”

Zuppa pavese

What the real thing tastes like

Zuppa pavese or zuppa alla pavese is an Italian soup consisting of broth into which slices of stale bread and poached eggs are placed. It is generally served with grated Parmesan. A legend claims that it was created by a peasant girl who added an egg to soup for King Francis I of France while he was being held prisoner after the Battle of Pavia. One way of preparing it is to place fried bread in a soup plate with cheese and a raw egg yolk on top. The hot broth is then poured over it, cooking the egg lightly.

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Zuppa pavese is an honest soup—broth, stale bread, and a poached egg, finished with snow of Parmesan. The magic is in the restraint: hot liquid hitting a raw yolk, cooking it into a silky veil over crisp bread. A peasant's invention, a king's fortune, a dish that tastes like both.

Order it here when it has

  • stale bread repurposed
  • minimal ingredients
  • legendary origin
  • textural contrast

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