Meaning small bread or bread rolls as derived from the Italian panini [paˈniːni] or panino; these sandwiches are made with Italian bread (such as ciabatta and michetta), usually served by grilling or toasting. While the modern panini may have baguette as the bread; the deli ingredients of the horizontally cut bread can be filled with one’s own choice. From salami, cheese, ham, vegetables sliced or pickled; the choices are aplenty.
“[Panini] are said to have originated in Lombardy, Italy, in response to the demand among Milanese office workers for a quick lunch without sacrifice in flavor and quality. In both Italy and the United States, panini are eaten for lunch and as snacks and appetizers. In Italy, sandwich shops traditionally wrap the bottom of the panino in a crisp white paper napkin, providing a practical solution to drips while enhancing aesthetics. Quality Italian bread is an absolute must for a killer panini, and most sandwich chefs will opt for a relatively thin artisan bread like grooved focaccia or ciabatta, slicing it in half horizontally. Panini are always grilled, so most restaurants and cafes have invested in professional grooved sandwich presses that flatten and heat the sandwich while creating a crunch, buttery outer crust.” -American Sandwich: Great Eats from all 50 States, Becky Mercuri [Gibbs Smith:Salt Lake City UT] 2004 (p. 81)
The earliest precursor of panini was believed to be in the 16th century Italian cookbook; food historians have traced these sandwiches to the trendy Milanese bars, called paninoteche (1960s). As their popularity had crossed the Atlantic in the mid-1970s, the first American reference to panini dates to 1956. With each city having their own distinctive version of panini, variation were developed in plenty. During the 1980s, “paninaro” had evolved which was the youngsters’ culture typical of teenagers to enjoy a meet and eat place like the sandwich bars, such as Milan’s Al Panino. These had later evolved to the initial style of fast food restaurants opened in Italy.
Over time, panini had evolved to more flavours and texture with the bread changing type along with the mix. As their popularity spread across the seas to the Asian continent and the Orient, the portability, easy preparatory, individual taste and choice have contributed to their fair share in the menus across the globe. Little wonder, why then August had been dedicated as the month of the panini by experimental foodimentarians, for every kitchen of theirs would have made or had the “panini” at some point of time.
Sugar And Spice... Among Other Things 
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