Discover Sicilian food specialties, where they come from and how to look for them.
Every card says three things: what the product is, where it comes from and how it is used. Then a link that opens the map on the place of origin.
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Origin: Caltanissetta and Palermo
The fried pastry shell wraps sweetened sheep’s-milk ricotta: the sweet was born around Caltanissetta and took its final form in Palermo’s pastry shops. Today it is a P.A.T., and in eastern Sicily it is made with iblea ricotta, a milder cow’s-milk ricotta. It is eaten fresh, straight after frying, because the ricotta soaks up the moisture and the shell loses its crunch.
Origin: Palermo and eastern Sicily
Sugared ricotta, soaked sponge cake, marzipan paste and candied fruit: the cassata is a cold cake, served at Easter. It was born in the kitchens of Palermo’s monasteries — the marzipan paste of the Martorana nuns — and is recognised as a P.A.T. Local versions exist: the Syracuse one layers the sponge cake and drops the icing.
Origin: Bronte, on the volcano
On the volcano of Bronte the shell opens on its own and the pistachio is harvested by hand: the “Pistacchio Verde di Bronte” variety holds DOP status and its production area is the municipality of Bronte. It is the most prized ingredient in cassate, pastries and ice creams, and it also stands up to aged cheese. In August, at harvest time, Bronte celebrates the pistachio.
Photo: Paolo Galli · CC BY-SA 3.0
Origin: Avola, province of Syracuse
It is a red grape variety grown around Avola. When buying wine, check the designation shown on the bottle label.
Origin: Pantelleria
On Pantelleria the caper bush grows in the ground, among dry-stone walls and volcanic rock, and the fruits are picked by hand and brined: the IGP recognises only the ones from the island. They are sharply savoury, salty and tangy, and they are the ingredient in caponata and pasta with capers. The island also grows the white wine from Zibibbo grapes.
Origin: Marsala, in the Trapani area
It is a fortified wine with Controlled Origin Denomination since 1969, the second DOC ever granted in Italian wine history: it is made from cooked wine aged under strict rules. The categories run from Fine to Vergine, up to the Stravecchio aged ten years. It is the wine of meat dishes and inland cooking, and its sweetness pairs with aged cheese.
Photo: Chris · CC BY-SA 2.0
Origin: The Belice Valley, in the Trapani area
The Nocellara del Belice cultivar, known as Castelvetrano olives, holds DOP status both for the oil and for the table olives: it grows in the Belice Valley, between Partanna, Castelvetrano and Campobello di Mazara. The green olives, stoned and brined, are a simple antipasto and are used in cooking too. The same olives give a delicate, bitter extra virgin olive oil.
Photo: nosha · CC BY-SA 2.0
Origin: The Madonie and western Sicily
The Sicilian black bee (Apis mellifera sicula) is raised in Sicily. Orange-blossom and chestnut honey are produced in the Madonie; thyme, eucalyptus and wildflower honeys are also found on the island. The Sicilian black bee is protected by a Slow Food presidium active in the Madonie.
Photo: Fabio Lo Valvo · CC BY-SA 4.0
PDO and PGI are the European designations; DOC and P.A.T. are the Italian ones.
The products in this guide are mainly found in local shops and cellars. The rest is discovery.
Pastry shops, grocery shops, wine bars: whoever produces locally often sells in town. Asking whether it is “from here” is the simplest question, and the right one.
For wine, check the designation, producer and vintage shown on the label.
Discover Sicilian specialties and where they come from.
Caltanissetta and Palermo
Palermo and eastern Sicily
Bronte, on the volcano
Photo: Paolo Galli · CC BY-SA 3.0
Avola, province of Syracuse
Pantelleria
Photo: Rosario Cappadona · CC BY-SA 3.0
Marsala, in the Trapani area
Photo: Chris · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Belice Valley, in the Trapani area
Photo: nosha · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Madonie and western Sicily
Photo: Fabio Lo Valvo · CC BY-SA 4.0
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