A taste of Sicily

‘Che cosa avete oggi?’ (What’s on today?)

To familiarise themselves with the raw materials, visitors can do no better than wander around a fresh-produce market. The strictly regional nature of Sicilian food, and its relative lack of sophistication compared to what is usually expected of Italian cuisine, means delicious surprises can be expected by adventurous eaters. The snack front is dominated by the arancino, a luscious ball of moist rice around an inner core of meat and tomato sauce (ragù), crumbed, fried and eaten warm. Those served on board the ferries that cross the Strait of Messina are legendary! Another snack found prevalently around Palermo is panelle, squares of chick pea pastry, battered and fried and served on its own or as a roll filling, preferably accompanied by fried eggplant. Schiacciata and focaccia, types of pizza-like bread, are good lunch fare and found in all bakeries. A modest restaurant or trattoria may not always have a menu, however by asking ‘Che cosa avete oggi?’ (What’s on today?) or ‘Quale sono le vostre specialità?’ (What are your specialities?) something unfailingly interesting is guaranteed.

Antipasti (starters) are usually in a mouth-watering display to be served at room temperature, and could easily constitute a meal on their own. You may find sarde alla beccaficco, fresh sardines stuffed with capers and breadcrumbs and lightly fried (the name alludes to the serving manner, as the fish is arranged to resemble a prized game bird, the garden warbler). The eggplant (melanzana) is omnipresent, mostly the light mauve bulbous type. Lightly salted and left so the bitter juices drain away, it has a deep, rich taste enhanced by light frying, before serving with a splash of tomato purée and oregano. In combination with celery and capers it also features in the rich caponata stew. Alla parmigiana sees it layered with tomato and melted parmesan cheese. Mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and an infinity of olives are usually on offer as well.

Last but by no means least are the dolci, pastries, ice creams and sweets in general. This class, an art form, encompasses generous mouth-watering cakes made of melt-in-the-mouth pasta di mandorla, a lighter version of marzipan, as well as the famous cannoli, tubes of fried flaky pastry stuffed with a rich mixture of ricotta cheese and candied fruits, virtually a meal in itself. In a similar vein is cassata, often an ice cream concoction, then there’s the superb torrone, alias nougat, which comes in mindboggling variations based on honey, almond and pistachio. Gelato (ices) assumes a new meaning and dimension in Sicily. The creamy types can be unforgettable and the lighter fruit flavours are usually sorbetto, said to have been invented by the Arabs who used snow from Etna combined with the juice of locally grown citrus fruit. The granita on the other hand is a marvellous thirst-quenching invention for the hot summertime – a finely shaved ice mixture flavoured with sweetened lemon juice (al limone), pureed strawberries (alla fragola) or whatever takes the maker’s fancy, even al caffè, coffee, popular breakfast fare. Rumour has it that al gelso, or mulberry, is the best and most loved of all. Thick cream is an optional but favourite topping. One special icy treat prepared in Palermo for Saint Rosalia’s feast day (September 4th) is gelo al mellone, made with watermelon and scented with jasmine flowers. Lastly, try latte di mandorla, a sweet almond-based drink.

So... hungry? Has the cloud of wanderlust come over you? Experience the best walks plus the tastiest food that Sicily has to offer, with Gillian's guide to Walking in Sicily.