| siciliangems@hotmail.com Tel: 07900503315(UK) +39 3663198156(IT) |
|
| Sicily Holiday Rental | Discover Sicily | Sicily Tours | Book Now | Travel Info | Island Weather | About Us | Contact us | Property Owners | Photo Gallery |
|
Print-friendly version
Food A beautiful Island breeds beautiful things and as once described by Goethe of Sicily, “Beautiful things gleam in the dust” From these attributes this is how it is possible to derive a culinary excellence. Rich in culinary tradition Sicily owes its tastes to several factors. Of course the Mediterranean influence is strong here with foods such as olive oil and good wine, but also not forgetting the 25 centuries of foreign invasion, which have clearly left their mark. The south of Italy still leans to agriculture and a third of the produce for the country is grown in the southern regions including Sicily. However the historical significance of the Island can be experienced through the food, not purely Italian but also Arab, Greek, Saracen and not forgetting later the Normans. This is why the produce here is a melting pot of flavours, that when you taste the food you also eat the history of Sicily. One of the wonderful experiences of eating here is the sheer freshness of taste and colour. The simplicity of Sicilian cooking is to use a few strong elements and bring them together to create a symphony of flavours and a feast for the senses. Significantly the Arab influence remains today one of the strongest and creates a clever palate of sweet, sour and spicy. When you first realise the spice it is a little surprising as it is not associated in Italy as an important element. However the dishes remain ever faithful to their recipe history and create a superb interest for the traveller.  Dependent on where you travel on the Island, will denote what type of food you will taste.For example if you find yourself in the area of Trapani, this region has strong roots in the Arab conquests and also being the closest point to the coast of Africa the food has a more spicy influence. Here cous cous can be found practically in every restaurant, the origins being Tunisian. The coastal area of Trapani and Mazzara Del Vallo is very famous for its salt, sold all over Italy and Europe and goes into the making of these delicious dishes you will sample in this region. The Arab (Saracens) landed on the shores of Sicily around 827 AD, a collective band of Moors that were made up of Arabs, Berbers and Spanish Muslims, arriving in the area of Mazzara Del Vallo. This particular invasion however benefited Sicily in many ways such as the introduction of new waterways and irrigation systems as well as citrus fruits, date palm, sugar cane and dry form pasta. The Arabic language was introduced and Sicily became a strong trading post between Mediterranean routes. Therefore today these influences remain firmly locked in the foods of the Island and can be sampled even in a simple bar. If street food is your thing then taking a stroll down through the many towns here you can sample the delights such as: Arancino (A deep fried rice ball stuffed with meat, tomato and vegetables. Sfincione (a soft oily pizza topped with onions and local caciocavallo cheese) is really delicious. In the summer months the soft sweet bread known as brioche is filled with a coffee flavoured ice-cream, usually alongside candied fruit and a type of nougat. Also for those with strong meat desires in places such as Castelbuono high in the Madonie National Park, the kid goat is commonly seen on the menu in the restaurants. You will find it is written “Castrato” but it's not to be missed as the meat is known to be tender and delicious. In these high mountain towns the food is sourced in a very local matter of fact way, with lamb and kid often being the choice of the Sicilian. One of the most famous dishes of the Island is that known as “Pasta con le sarde” This again owes its fame to the Moors and contains simple but tasty sardines, wild mountain fennel, raisins and pine nuts. Although a dish not for the light eater it is extremely delicious with a glass of local Vino such as Insolia.  “We cannot talk of food and Sicily in the same sentence and not mention fish” One Island, three seas and many fishing boats, this is how I see beautiful Sicilia. Have a thought!! A conversation about fish in Sicily with any local fisherman will give you an insight into the slow but ultimately destructive decline in fishing of the Mediterranean. Although you will sample some really simple and tasty fish dishes, there has been a decline in the number of catches around the shores of Sicily for around 10 years. Where the waters were once teaming with blue fish and tuna now only make way for the many sardines that are caught in these waters. In some parts of the Mediterranean (Egadi Islands of the coast of Trapani) the parrot fish is making a successful return to these waters, but it is long processes that will take many years of understanding and firm support from all the EU nations, to ensure the life of these waters continue for more generations to come. This said there are many delicious seafood dishes which should be tasted whilst in Sicily. Involtini di pesche spada: is a wonderful invention of stuffed and rolled sword fish which has sultanas, pine nuts and bread crumbs inside. Also there are many small sea bass farms dotted around the coast, the best being out near the Aeolian Islands. These farms are for a good reason and control the amount of Spigola (Italian for sea bass) that are pulled from the waters in their natural state. Farmed or wild, these fishes often big enough to share, are simply grilled with just a sprinkling of oil, lemon and herbs. Prawns of varying sizes are cooked in several ways here; the small shrimps are usually tossed into pasta with tomato, chillies and garlic. Whilst the bigger prawns are grilled with chillies and parsley served with a slice of lemon and you have a feast fit for a sea king. Ricci are kinds of sea urchins which are very popular here in the summer months. They are not always to everyone’s tastes but are loved by the Italians. Mixed into pasta usually fettuccine or scooped directly out of there bright spiky shells, a real taste of the sea. Alici: also are very delicious in Sicily and these little silvery fish are often treated very simply without the process of heat. Named crudo for their treatment to lemon or acetic acid are left to change colour before eaten as antipasti (little tasters) with some crusty bread and a cool glass of Sicilian Vino grecanico. There are many other types of sea food and fish that you will find whilst here on the Island. Huge Tuna can be seen in the fish markets that are usually made into wonderful stews. The squid is big on the menu and either grilled or fried has a more rubber texture that lends itself well also to seafood salads. I would always advise to walk around these markets, if only to get a great feel for how the Sicilians live and work. Taking a stroll along the streets of Sicily you will see many stalls of brightly coloured vegetables and fruits that give not only wonderful photo opportunities but a great insight to the many varied types of produce. The olive is a sacred tree in Sicily and its fruits have been gracing the tables for centuries; a difficult tree to cultivate it requires attention of pruning in the spring, enabling the tree to bare a healthy harvest. Festivals in different districts give the tree the respect it deserves and the yearly harvest reaps economical benefits for many. The olive is not however quick to bare fruit and in most cases will be at least 5 years before you can expect to gain a decent crop. The best way to taste the olive is after it has been brined with salt and water, then macerated for a while in oil and herbs which is when it takes on a rich slightly acid bite. Although an island of agriculture it’s also interesting to know that the Sicilians have a good knowledge of wild growing vegetables that are harvested in the mountain areas during the year. The wild fennel which grows in the mountainous regions is probably one of the most significant, and when chopped and added to different pasta, fish or meat recipes gives a gentle aniseed flavour to the dish which is really delicious. Lemons and oranges of course are a typical fruit and some of the finest grown in the Mediterranean. Featuring in most dishes that are the sweet variety, the unique freshness of the lemons give the recipes a very unique flavour. The tomatoes of the southern regions are grown in the hot sun and have a rich, ripe flavour that once tasted are hard to beat. Treated simply with a little oil, salt, herb and lemon, you can soak up the juices with some crusty bread. Also used on the famous pizza, fresh tomato sauce gives the dough its rich base from where you can add the many and varied toppings. Peppers, artichokes (carciofi), courgettes (zucchine), aubergines ( melenzane), spinach, giri and senape (green leaf veg that are found in Sicily) are all commonly used in the Sicilian kitchen at different junctures of the year. One of the delicious starters you can try is a dish known as "Caponata” This is a strong flavoured blend of aubergines, celery, capers, tomato and olives which are cooked separately then added together to form a type of ragu, which when served warm with bread it is a delicious concoction. One of the pleasures of visiting the town of Castelbuono in the autumn months, is to visit the restaurants that produce superb wild mushroom dishes. All are sourced directly from the Madonie Mountains and this is what makes eating in Sicily a real pleasure for the tourist and when going home you have a greater understanding of the people and their love of life and maybe, a few new recipe ideas. La Dolce Vita The Sicilians are quite rightly proud of their dessert and pastry dishes. Although for some can be a little sweet, a visit to Sicily is not complete without tasting the many pretty desserts on offer. Although it’s possible to taste many Italian desserts here like Tiramisu or rum baba it’s a pity to miss out on the many typical Sicilian offerings. Cassata: One of the most famous Island desserts founded its roots in Catania, later embraced as the Sicilian cake and now has many varying forms, generally however always uses sponge with sweetened ricotta cheese, sugared fruits and chocolate which are all soaked in a liquor, not for the calorie counter or faint hearted!!! Cannoli: Fried tubes of pastries which are filled with sweetened ricotta which is combined with chocolate, sugared fruit and pistachios. Interestingly the Sicilian ricotta is different from that of Italy as it comes from the sheep rather than the cow. Torte di pistachio: A dessert that originates from the area of Etna (Bronte) famous for its pistachios the torte is a delicious blend of sweet ricotta with chocolate pieces and topped with sugar roasted pistachios. Testa di turco: This cake is typically found in the town of Castelbuono and its literal meaning is the “head of a turk”!!! Thin pastry slices, with lemon custard inside that makes for a most tasty treat and not at all what a Turk would taste of! Gelati (icecream) This is a subject that we are not going into detail on, purely because there are so many different types of gelato in Italy that we would be here forever!!!! Sufficed to say that the Italian is the largest consumer of ice-cream in the world, and even in the winter months across Italy, coats donned they can be consuming up to four each a day. With this in mind when you are here, have a stroll into one of the many shops and witness the many flavours that are on offer. If ice cream is not your thing then perhaps you could try the very Sicilian Granita di Limone: that has the texture and taste of a sorbet. Famous now throughout Italy this sweet and sharp ice is made with Sicilian lemons, water and liquid sugar to create a very refreshing summer alternative. Ok so we could go on forever about the many wonderful food stuffs of Sicily but half the fun of coming to this Island is discovering all these things and more for yourselves. Happy hunting and buon appetito!!! |
|
| Siciliangems.com 23, Canford Close, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9RG, United Kingdom - Show map - Tel: 07900503315(UK) +39 3663198156(IT) Email: siciliangems@hotmail.com Copyright © Siciliangems.com 2008. Web design by 7Soft.co.uk. |