If you have chosen to spend your holidays in the land of Pirandello this summer, you will absolutely have to taste these 10 Sicilian dishes!
Sicily is not only sea, wonderful beaches, smiling people, culture and magnificent places to visit and full of history.
Sicily also has a wide range of excellent recipes. First courses, second courses, desserts and delicacies Sicilian cuisine is a mix of unique and timeless flavours, but if you are a tourist and it is your first time in our land we recommend 10 Sicilian dishes that you absolutely must taste.
Arancino or arancina?
The great dilemma that afflicts the whole of Sicily: do you say arancino or arancina? The Accademia della Crusca provides an exhaustive explanation: in the western part of the island it is called arancina (round) while in the eastern part arancino (round or pointed, a shape that could be inspired by the figure of Etna). All this could be concluded by saying that its name derives from the orange but it is not really like that…
Those who say arancino Italianize the dialectal term (arancinu) while those who say arancina do nothing but re-propose the model of standard Italian. So either way is correct!
Having said that, if you are in Sicily try the arancino because it is a must in our cuisine, it is a "finger food" loved throughout Italy and super envied by the rest of the world!
Bread and panelle to take away!
The typical Sicilian sandwich is made with "panelle", i.e. chickpea flour fritters accompanied by tasty pepper and parsley croquettes called "cazzilli". When to taste it? While walking through the streets of our beautiful cities!
Busiati with Agghia Pistata
A first course with which you will lick your mustache, the "busiati" are a sort of macaroni similar to bucatini, accompanied by the delicious "Trapanese pesto" made with garlic, almonds, basil and tomatoes. How was this dish born? Sicilians were inspired by Genoese pesto by revisiting the recipe and using local ingredients.
Pasta with sardines and Beccafico sardines
One of the most cooked fish in Sicily are sardines: absolutely try the "pasta with sardines", typical of Palermo or the delicious "Sarde Beccafico": this specialty is based on sardines filled with sultanas, parsley, pine nuts and anchovies .
Fish cous cous
It is not only a typically North African dish, in Sicily it is used as a base for many dishes, especially in the Trapani area. The Italian variant involves the use of a very special pot called a "couscous pot" and the sauce is based on fish broth.
Caponata / Eggplant Parmigiana
You will surely have tasted the beloved parmigiana that accompanied the childhood of many of us too since it is a dish prepared throughout the boot. However, being born in Sicily, you can't leave here without trying it! The dish is topped with lots of cheese, salami, boiled egg and provola. Eggplants are also the basis of another delicious dish, the Caponata, to be tasted at any cost!
Sicilian cassata
The sweet par excellence, the Sicilian cassata is the typical Easter cake of Palermo and is prepared with: ricotta cheese, chocolate, candied fruit, marzipan and many other ingredients placed on a delicious sponge cake. Looking at a cassata you will realize that it has a very particular style, very baroque: the super rich decorations will leave you speechless.
Granita with Brioche
At breakfast or as a snack, it's always the right time for a granita with brioche! If you are in the Catania area, refresh yourself with a granita with classic flavors (lemon or almond) or try it in one of the many variations!
Almond paste
Almonds are used in many sweets and biscuits, they are made with "marzipan" or "marzipan fruit". Taste one and you will reach Heaven!
Cannoli with Ricotta
Crunchy and delicious, cannoli are one of the typical Sicilian desserts. How they are made? They are fried and filled with sheep ricotta, chocolate drops and candied fruit peel. Imitated worldwide, no one can match their goodness. They are typical Carnival sweets, but the pastry shops of the region prepare them at any time of the year to make every tourist's stay sweeter!
