Eating in Sicily

Before lunch, roughly between 11:30 and 12:30, and especially during weekends, or before dinner, people gather in bars to drink an aperitivo (apéritif). In northern Italy, drinking an aperitivo is more common before dinner than before lunch, while in southern Italy it is the other way around. The aperitivo is often accompanied by salty appetizers, most commonly potato chips, peanuts, olives, and mini-pretzels, but in some establishments, at least during weekends, you may be offered also tartine (canapés) and tramezzini (finger sandwiches). Usually all these appetizers are included in the price of the aperitivo. For the drink itself, a popular choice in the past few years is the spritz. Other popular alcoholic aperitivi are Aperol, Campari, Prosecco, Martini vermouths, Negroni, Campari & Gin. Among the non-alcoholic aperitivi, the most requested are the Sanbittèr and the Crodino. While there is only one variety of Crodino, the Sanbittèr comes in the traditional flavors rosso and bianco (or dry), and also in several fruited and spiced flavors. 

Lunch is the main meal, or at least used to be. The main staple food, used to accompany almost all meals, is bread, which you can buy directly from a panificio (bakery), or at the supermarket. In Mascali, the bread has a crunchy crust and a soft, thick, belly-filling crumb. Bread is sold in large forms either ring-like or straight, to be sliced, or in individual portions such as panini, mafalde, and 'nzuddi (this name is used only in the Mascali area, elsewhere they are called scacciatelle). White rice is never used as a side dish, rather it is associated, together with tea, to the alimentation during illnesses. A complete lunch consists in antipasto (appetizers), primo (pasta, risotto, or a soup), secondo (a meat or fish-based dish) which is accompanied by a contorno, salad, vegetables or fries, frutta (fruit), dolce (dessert), caffè (espresso or moka), and ammazzacaffè (a strong alcoholic drink, often a limoncello or a herbal liqueur). However, most often in their daily routine people eat just a primo or secondo, and eat a complete lunch just in special occasions or when having guests. 

The antipasto in some restaurants may consists in several trays of appetizers, and sometimes you'll be satisfied just with it. Common antipasti at home meals are olives, insalata giardiniera, cheese, ham and other cured meats, accompanied with bread. In restaurants, this combination is known as antipasto all'italiana. A more typically sicilian antipasto is the caponata. Of course, Sicilians eat their caponata with bread. 

Among the sicilian primi, we recall pasta alla Norma, pasta con le sarde, spaghetti al nero di seppia, which you will find in the menu of most restaurants; other typical dishes - pasta al forno, maccheroni, pasta con le patate, pasta e fagioli, ciciri a bbagna pani, pasta ccu maccu, timballo, riso alla siciliana - will be rarely offered by restaurateurs, so that in order to taste them you can either learn the recipe, or hope to be invited over to lunch by sicilian friends; in restaurants, you will also find dishes that are not typically sicilians, but belong to the mediterranean area, or to the general italian tradition, such as spaghetti aglio e olio (*), spaghetti al pomodoro (**), lasagne, pasta alla puttanesca, linguine allo scoglio, risotto ai frutti di mare, spaghetti alle vongole. After finishing their pasta, sicilians do la scarpetta (literally, the little shoe), which consists in scooping their dish clean with, you guessed it, bread. 

There are so many secondi, that I will mention just a few. Among the fish-based dishes: involtini di pesce spada, fritto misto, pesce spada alla griglia, sarde alla beccafico. Among the meat-based dishes: castrato alla brace, salsiccia al forno, badduzzi arrustuti (polpette arrosto). Vegetarian (but not vegan) secondi are the melanzane ripiene and the parmigiana di melanzane. Often, sicilians will alternate a morsel of the secondo with a bite of, prepare to be shocked, bread. 

The fruit is always fresh, varies with the season, and is almost invariably of local produce. Sicilians are particularly proud of their products, and they become indignant if, for instance, they find oranges produced in Spain or Israel at the supermarket. The most common fruits on the sicilian tables are fichi d'india (prickly pears/indian fig), fichi (figs), pesche tabacchiere (flat peaches), grapes, cherries, melons, watermelons, oranges, tangerines, and clementines. A few people will eat some fruits with, surprise surprise, bread.

And now, the dolce or dessert: in this respect, Sicilian cuisine is in a league of its own. Throughout Italy, you will find pastry shops that serve pasticceria siciliana, the renown of which is so great that the establishment will mention it in its outdoor sign. At the Sunday lunch, the head of the family or the guests, if there are any, will bring a tray of paste or of pasticcini. Paste is a common name for several kinds of bigné, beignets filled with pastry or whipped cream, cannoli, filled with ricotta, pastry or chocolate cream, babà, and single-dose versions of cassata and of layered cakes as the torta Savoia, the diplomatic cake, or the tiramisù.  Most of the paste come also in smaller versions, known as pasticcini mignon. Another option as dessert is the cassata. In summer, paste do not keep well in the heat, so they are available only on weekends, when it is guaranteed that very few will be left over. At any rate, in summer a typical dessert is the torta gelato. You may also find zeppole di riso. Surprisingly, sicilians do not accompany the dolce with bread. 

A light meal eaten in the mid-afternoon can be called a merenda, especially if it is eaten by children, or a spuntino. During summer, in Sicily it is possible to ask for a brioche con gelato, consisting in the same brioche that is served with granita in the morning, but which is now filled with the icecream of your choice. You may also savour several sweet products, such as biscotti cca liffia, paste di mandorla, bersaglieri, or pastine da tè. And if you have a really sweet tooth, you should go for frutta martorana, marzipan shaped in the form of fruits and colored with natural colorants. For a salty snack, you may try sfinci (or crispelle) with ricotta or anchovies. At specialized stands in festivals, you can find nuciddi americani, calia e simenza, and also freshly prepared minnulata, torrone. 

In restaurants, the menu is essentially the same as for lunch, with the addition of pizzas in ristoranti-pizzeria, since pizza is rarely served at lunch (in places crowded with tourists, you may find pizza at lunch, but you will seldom see a sicilian eating one). Instead of pizza, if you want to go local, you may try a scacciata. At home, people usually eat a lighter meal (pasta is less frequently consumed at dinner than at lunch) or the leftovers of the lunch. They may buy or eat on the spot some takeaway food, known as tavola calda, which is another pride of sicilian cuisine. Tavola calda consists in a variety of savoury specialties: arancini are certainly the most characteristic sicilian items of tavola calda, then you have pizzette, cartocciate, bombe, paté and cipolline, just to mention the most common types. Tavola calda is usually cheap, and thus a good alternative to restaurants for people on a budget. Another alternative is street food, especially panini filled in various ways and pressed in a hot grill. The latter ones can be found at food trucks but also in some specialized establishments, known as paninerie, where you may also find a good selection of beers, imported or crafted. At food trucks you will often find carne di cavallo (horse meat) as an option for your panino. Another option is pane cunzatu. In summer, after dinner, it is common to go out for a walk and a gelato. If you want to splurge, you can order a coppa gelato.

Arance rosse, or sanguinelle: Red oranges with a strong taste.

Badduzzi nte pampini: Smash burgers ante litteram, they are made with a mixture of meat, cheese, and spices, shaped into a ball, put on top of a lemon leaf (pampinu), flattened in an irregular shape, and grilled on charcoal. 

Bersaglieri e biscotti Regina: Soft glazed biscuits. The bersaglieri are made with cocoa and glazed in chocolate, the biscotti Regina do not contain cocoa and they are glazed in a lemon sugar icing. Usually sold side by side. As for the sciatori, they are more commonly found in a panificio (bakery) than in a pasticceria (pastry shop).

Caponata: A dish made with aubergines, peppers, onions, celery, tomatoes, olives, pinoli and capers, sautéed or baked in a mixture of sugar, vinegar and oil. 

Cassata: A Sicilian cake famous throughout Italy. It is made with sweetened ricotta, sponge cake, marzipan, and candied fruits. A glorified cheesecake. 

Castrato alla brace: Grilled mutton with herbs. 

Ciciri a bbagnapani: A soup of chickpeas and other legumes, eaten with chunks of bread dipped in it. During the sicilian uprising known as Vespri siciliani against the House of Anjou, the word ciciri (chickpeas, pronounced 'tchitchiree') was used as a shibboleth to individuate the French soldiers and nobles trying to pass for locals, since they would invariably pronounce it as 'seeseeree '.

Fichi d'india: Indian figs aka prickly pears. They require a bit of caution while peeling, because of the thorns. In increasing order of sweetness, they can be white, yellow, or purple.

Fior di mandorla: Another masterpiece of Sicilian confectionery. Biscuits made with almonds, honey, powdered sugar, lemon or orange zest, baked and then covered with powdered sugar. They are sometimes called fiocchi di neve, or, in our region, paste di mandorla. They are usually sold in colored boxes carrying pictures or drawings of Sicily. 

Frutta martorana: Marzipan shaped in the form of miniature fruits using food colorings. Its name is due to it originating in a convent in Palermo, commonly known as Martorana's from the name of the pious noblewoman who had founded it. According to the legends, on a papal or episcopal visit during winter, the nuns hung colored marzipan fruits on the trees of their garden, in order to conceal its disappointing bare aspect.

(Insalata) giardiniera: A relish of carrots, onions, celery, cucumber, and cauliflower pickled in vinegar. Available in any supermarket, at the salumeria counter. 

Graffa: A fried donut shaped like a ribbon and glazed with sugar. 

Involtini di pesce spada: Swordfish rolls with cheese, bread crumbs, pinoli, and capers. 

Iris: A fried or baked bun filled with ricotta, pastry cream, or chocolate cream.

Melanzane ripiene: Aubergines cut in half and filled with cheese, bread crumbs, capers, and tomatoes gratinated in the oven. 

Minnulata or turruni: Torrone made just with almonds and sugar.

Nuciddi miricani, calia e simenza: They are, respectively, peanuts inside their shells, chickpeas, and pumpkin seeds, covered in ash and toasted.

Pani cunzatu: hot bread cut in half and filled with anchovies, cheese, olives, dried tomatoes, olive oil, etc., then sliced in individual portions. 

Parmigiana di melanzane: A delicacy you cannot miss. Several layers, lasagna style, of fried aubergines, tomato sauce, and cheese baked in the oven. Delicious also, or especially, if eaten cold. 

Pasta al forno: Pasta partially cooked, then baked in the oven with bechamel sauce, sausages, eggs, aubergines. Very common as a Sunday dish at family lunches.

Pasta alla Norma: Pasta (spaghetti, penne, or casarecce) with tomato sauce, topped with fried aubergines, and garnished with grated ricotta salata. 

Pasta al nero di seppia: Spaghetti with squid and squid ink.

Pasta ccu maccu: Pasta (usually spaghetti broken by hand) with mashed fava beans. 

Pasta con le sarde: Spaghetti or bucatini with sardines, wild fennel, and crusty bread crumbs.

Pasta e fagioli: A soup made of pasta (usually short, like anellini) and kidney beans. 

Pasta e patate: Pasta with potatoes (and tomato sauce in some variants). You might think that mixing two carbohydrates is not a good idea, but you will change your mind as soon as you taste it.

Paste: The main kinds of paste are cannoli, cassatelle, tartufi, babà, diplomatici, and slices of torta Savoia.

• • Babà: A small, spongy cake, soaked in lukewarm diluted rum or sugar syrup. It can be simple or filled with pastry or whipped cream. It comes also in a mignon version, usually without filling. 

  • Cannoli: A Sicilian icon. Hollow cylinders of dough fried until crunchy, then cooled down and filled with ricotta cream, but sometimes with pastry or chocolate cream. In their mignon form they are called cannolicchi. Important tip: after filling, the shell loses its crunchiness in a short time, thus, if you want to take them with you, ask for the shells and the filling in separate containers. 

  • Cassatelle: Small versions of the cassata cake. Especially in Catania, they are known as Minni di Sant'Agata (breasts of Saint Agata), because of their round shape and the topping with a cherry. The association is due to the fact that the breasts of Saint Agata were asported after she refused the advances of a roman, and pagan, proconsul. Sicilians for sure have a curious way of manifesting their devotion. 

  • Diplomatici: Alternate layers of sponge cake, diplomatic cream and puff pastry. 

  • Tartufi: Beignets filled with whipped cream, sometimes with the addition of cocoa, or with chocolate cream, then dipped into whipped cream and finally rolled in a mixture of cocoa and crumbled pan di spagna (sponge cake). In their mignon form they are called tartufini.

Pastine da tè: A term that includes different kinds of small, dry biscuits. They can be butter biscuits of various shapes, glazed with chocolate, some are composed of two halves attached together with confiture, or they can be almond based biscuits, generally garnished with a green or red candied cherry .

Pere di San Giovanni: Small, crunchy pears that grow on Mt Etna. You can eat them whole.  

Pesce spada alla griglia: Plain grilled swordfish, usually accompanied with a sauce made with lemon juice and olive oil. Simple and delicious. 

Pesche tabacchiere: Flat peaches cultivated on the slopes of Mt Etna. Very sweet. 

Pizza: It is so famous, you don't need me to describe it. Pizza is not Sicilian, but it was invented in Naples. 'Sicilian pizza' may have different meanings depending on the part of Sicily you are visiting. In the area of Catania, the pizza served in pizzeria is crunchier than the Neapolitan version, due to the presence of semolina and longer baking times at lower temperature. The toppings are often inspired by locally available products. A famous instance is the pizza alla Norma, inspired to pasta alla Norma, made with tomato and fried aubergines, with the addition of ricotta after baking. 

Raviola di ricotta: A fried or baked triangular pastry filled with a ricotta-based cream.

Salsiccia al forno: Pork sausage, usually aromatised with fennel seeds, baked with bell peppers and potatoes. 

Sarde alla beccafico: Sardines battered with breadcrumbs, pinoli, cheese, and raisins, then fried. 

Scacciata: A circular dough closed on top, like a pie, filled with sausage, cauliflower, broccoli, cheese, and olives, or with anchovies and cheese.

Sfinci or crespelle: A deep fried flour dough. They come in two shapes. The round ones are filled with fresh ricotta, the elongated ones with anchovies. 

Siciliana: A fried calzone usually filled with anchovies and cheese. 

Spritz: A drink, originally from Veneto, where it used to be strong white wine sprayed with sparkling water. Nowadays, spritz is made with Prosecco, a bitter - typically Aperol or Campari - and soda water. 

Tavola calda: This name reunites several salty preparations. If you want to refer to a generic one, you should say un pezzo di tavola calda.

• • Arancini: A Sicilian specialty. Sapphron aromatised rice with various fillings, coated in a double layer of flour and breadcrumb, deep fried. In the Catania area, the cone shaped arancini are called arancini al ragù, since they are filled with a ragout, which often contains green peas, and cheese; the round ones are arancini al burro which indicates a filling of bechamel, cheese, and ham. Nowadays, you can find many more fillings, like aubergine, pistacchio, etc. In this case the arancini are shaped like an oval. As a curiosity, in Palermo arancini al ragù are round, and arancini are called arancine, the feminine declination of the word. This is the cause of a long lasting dispute between Eastern and Western Sicily.

  • Cipolline: Semi-puff pastry baked with a filling made of cipolle appassite (softened onions), cheese, tomato sauce, and ham.

  • Pizzette: A small, soft pizza, with tomato and cheese. Additional ingredients may be olives or mushrooms. 

  • Cartocciate: A mini-calzone, filled with cheese, ham, and tomato sauce.

  • Bolognesi: A small pizza closed on top by a layer of puff pastry. 

  • Bombe: A fried spherical dough filled with ham and cheese. 

  • Paté: Puff-pastry filled with cheese and ham or with cheese and spinaches. 

Timballo: Pasta baked together with various fillings inside a shell made by aubergines, or short pastry. Particularly famous is the version described in detail in the novel The Leopard by the Sicilian author Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. 

Torciglione: A fried, twisted hollow tubular pastry covered with sugar, with the same filling options as the iris. 

Torta-gelato: A frozen cake filled with ice-cream and topped with whipped cream.

Torta Savoia: A cake made by alternate layers of pan di spagna (sponge cake) and hazelnut chocolate cream, covered in chocolate. 

Viscotti cca liffia, or sciatori: Soft leavened biscuits glazed with chocolate. They were created in Zafferana Etnea, in the bar of Donna Peppina, and they were called thus for the skiers (sciatori) who stopped at the bar and feasted on them. Nowadays, it is more likely to find sciatori in a bakery than in a pastry shop. 

Zeppole (or crespelle) di riso: A fried pastry made of rice and flour covered in honey.

There are several kinds of native grapes, some of them cultivated on the slopes of Mt Etna, especially in the area that goes from Castiglione to Randazzo. The main ones are: Grillo, Catarratto, Frappato, Inzolia, Zibibbo, Malvasia, Nerello Mascalese, and Nero d’Avola. 

A typical wine to be found in our area is the Etna, rosso (red) or bianco (white), made respectively from Nerello Cappuccio and Nerello Mascalese the red, and from Carricante, Catarratto, and Trebbiano the white. 

Other red Sicilian wines are: Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Salaparuta, Nero d'Avola. 

There are several white wines, mostly taking their names from the main grape in their composition like Grillo and Inzolia, and others that take the name from their area of production like Alcamo and Etna bianco. 

Where Sicily excels, however, is in the production of sweet, licorous wines: Marsala, Passito di Pantelleria, Moscato, Malvasia delle Lipari. These strong sweet wines are to be drank possibly at the end of meals or away from meals (vini da meditazione), in small liqueur glasses, accompanied by Sicilian pastries, e.g. paste, fior di mandorla, pastine da tè. All these wines should be cooled in the fridge. 

A typical liqueur served at the end of meals is the Limoncello, best tasted frozen. It is a sweet liqueur made from lemons, probably from the area of Sorrento. A Sicilian herbal liqueur is Amaro Averna. Rosolio, while not typically Sicilian, is widely diffused.