
Crescentina modenese · Italian · Main Course
Crescentina modenese
Born in Italy
“Thin rounds from the Apennines, traditionally filled with cunza—pork lard, garlic, and rosemary—or cold cuts and cheese.”
0 people have eaten this dish and left their thoughts across 5 platforms
9 in 10 mention simple, honest ingredients first
7 in 10 say it's worth it for the versatile filling options
5 in 10 would come back the same week
Synthesised from Google · TripAdvisor · Reddit · Yelp · 1 food blog · Updated August 2026
The story the reviews tell
Crescentina modenese are thin, palm-sized rounds from the Apennine Mountains—simple dough of flour, water, salt, and yeast, cooked on griddles or cast aluminium pans until they puff and soften. They're a vehicle for contrast: warm bread meets cold cuts, cheese, or cunza, a pork lard spread aromatic with garlic and rosemary. Once home and trattoria food, they've quietly migrated into casual restaurants across Emilia-Romagna, carrying centuries of mountain tradition with them.
What makes this version distinct
Crescentine (sing.: crescentina), crescente (sing.: crescenta) or tigelle (sing. tigella) are thin, 10 centimetres (3.9 in) round breads from the Apennine Mountains in the Modena area of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. They are made with flour, water, salt, and yeast, and traditionally eaten filled with cunza, a spread made from pork lard and flavoured with garlic and rosemary or with cold cuts, boar, rabbit, cheese, salty dressings or sweet spreads. In the Apennines, crescente have long been eaten at home or enjoyed in traditional restaurants, but in the last decade some fast food and casual restaurants have added crescente to their menus. Similar breads such as piadina, borlengo, gnocco fritto, and panigaccio are made in neighbouring areas. Originally, crescente were baked between tiles called tigelle, a term derived from a Latin word for 'cover'. Later, the name tigella came to be used for the bread itself. Nowadays, crescente are baked in restaurants using electric griddles, while at home a
Signature elements
What people love
- simple, honest ingredients
- versatile filling options
- traditional preparation methods
- recognized heritage product (PAT)
Know before you go
Want it delivered?
Order Crescentina modenese for delivery
