Carpaccio is a dish of meat or fish (such as beef, veal, venison, salmon or tuna), thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetiser. It was invented in 1963 by Giuseppe Cipriani from Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy, and popularised during the second half of the twentieth century. The beef was served with lemon, olive oil, and white truffle or Parmigiano Reggiano. Later, the term was extended to dishes containing other raw meats or fish, thinly sliced and served with lemon or vinegar, olive oil, salt and ground pepper, and fruits such as mango or pineapple.

History

The dish, based on the Piedmont speciality carne cruda all'albese, was invented in 1963 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar in Venice. He originally prepared the dish for countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo when he learned that her doctors had recommended that she eat raw meat. The dish was named carpaccio after Vittore Carpaccio, the Venetian painter known for the characteristic red and white tones of his work.