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In Sicily, food is more than just nourishment; it's a way to preserve culture and enjoy time with family or friends. The various peoples who passed through the island—Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and Spanish—have left an indelible mark on its recipes. Dishes are characterized by the use of local products such as olive oil, fresh fish, and vegetables, as well as nuts like pistachios, raisins, and pine nuts for seasoning. Here is a selection of the bites you can't miss.
These fried rice balls, originating from Sicily, are now found in fast food stands all over Italy. Arancino or arancina? The difference lies in the shape and the region where you are. If it's cone-shaped, you're likely looking at an arancino and are probably in Catania. If it's round, you're in the Palermo area, in the west, and it's called an arancina. The varieties are endless: ragù, pork and peas, butter and béchamel, salmon, pistachio, eggplant, or ricotta. There is also a sweet version, and this is spherical and smaller in size. Just choose the one you like the most and enjoy!
Caponata di melanzane is one of the great classics of southern Italian cuisine. This dish, similar to ratatouille, is made with fresh vegetables like eggplant, tomato, and onion, to which olives, capers, and celery are added. Finally, it is seasoned with vinegar and sugar, giving it a very special sweet and sour flavor. Caponata is usually served cold as an appetizer with toasted bread.
Pasta con le sarde is the most representative dish of Sicilian cuisine, as it combines the marine essence of sardines with the wild fennel from the island’s mountains. Although it has multiple variants, the most traditional recipe includes bucatini, onion, fennel, sardines, pine nuts, and raisins. The best time to try this dish is between May and October when bluefish reaches its peak quality.
The Sicilian bruciuluni (known in the rest of Italy as braciolone or farsumagru) is a rolled pork dish filled with a mixture of regional cheese, minced meat, or sausage. Raisins, pine nuts, hard-boiled eggs, and even tomato sauce can be added to it. Each restaurant has its specialty, so the variations are limitless. But rest assured, any of them is a true delight.
The most popular dessert in Sicilian cuisine is the cannolo, a crispy pastry roll made with Marsala wine, filled with sheep’s ricotta cheese, and garnished with chocolate, pistachios, and orange zest. Although it’s a traditional carnival dessert, today it can easily be found all year-round. The most famous ones are from La Pignolata in Taormina and Eurobar in Trapani.
Gelu i muluni is the typical summer dessert in Sicily. It’s made by cooking the flesh and pulp of watermelon with cinnamon. Then, it’s placed in bowls soaked with water where fresh jasmine has been left to rest overnight. It is garnished with dark chocolate shavings and stored in the refrigerator. It is usually served in a ceramic bowl, scented with a freshly cut jasmine flower and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Sicily has an ancient wine culture that has led to internationally recognized denominations of origin. In addition to pairing meals with local wines, it is tradition to finish with an artisan-made digestive liqueur.
The most representative red variety of the island is undoubtedly Nero d'Avola. It is the typical grape of the Noto and Avola areas, where it gets its flavor and a spicy character due to the limestone soils. Nero d'Avola produces fruity wines with clear cherry notes, especially when young.
On the other hand, the most popular white grape is catarratto, which yields wines with a well balanced aroma, flavorful and well-structured. Grillo is more concentrated, with a more intense flavor and salinity, ideal for producing the famous Marsala wines.
Finally, in the area between Salina and Lípari is the Malvasia delle Lipari denomination of origin, characterized by its notes of dried apricots, delicately salty, pleasantly fragrant and spicy, with a sulfurous finish.
Italy is not only a country of great wines, but also produces liqueurs that are highly appreciated worldwide. One of the most popular is grappa. This brandy is made from the distilled remains of pressed grapes, called vinacce.
If you prefer delicate flavors, then we recommend limoncello, a soft and refreshing liqueur made with lemons, brandy, and sugar. The key to this recipe is the quality of the fruit and the maceration time. The most prized are those made with lemons from Sorrento, a town near Naples.
Sicily, ITALY