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Sicilian cuisine is the style of cooking on the island ofSicily. It shows traces of all cultures that have existed on the island of Sicily over the last two millennia.[2] Although its cuisine has much in common withItalian cuisine, Sicilian food also hasGreek,Spanish,Jewish,Maghrebi, andArab influences.[3]
The Sicilian cookMithaecus, born during 5th century BC, is credited with having brought knowledge of Sicilian gastronomy toGreece:[4] his cookbook was the first in Greek, therefore he was the earliest cookbook author in any language whose name is known.
Sicily shows traces of all the cultures which established themselves on the island over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine undoubtedly has a predominantly Italian base, Sicilian food also has Spanish, Greek, and Arab influences.
The ancient Romans introduced lavish dishes based on goose. TheByzantines favoured sweet and sour flavours and the Arabs brought sugar, citrus, rice, spinach, and saffron. TheNormans andHohenstaufens had a fondness for meat dishes. The Spanish introduced items from theNew World including chocolate, maize, turkey, and tomatoes.[5] Sicilian cuisine not only reflects a mix of historical influences, but also embodies traditions that have been preserved through the use of local ingredients and age-old techniques, particularly in dishes such asarancini andcassata, which showcase the island's unique culinary heritage.[6]
Much of the island's cuisine encourages the use of fresh vegetables such as aubergine, peppers, and tomatoes, as well as fish such as tuna,seabream,sea bass,swordfish, andcuttlefish. InTrapani, in the extreme western corner of the island,North African influences are clear in the use of variouscouscous based dishes, usually combined with fish.[7] Mint is used extensively in cooking unlike the rest of Italy.
Traditional specialties from Sicily include arancini (a form of deep-fried ricecroquettes),pasta alla Norma,caponata,pani câ meusa, and a host of desserts and sweets such ascannoli,granita, and cassata.[8]
Typical of Sicily isMarsala, a red,fortified wine similar toPort and largely exported.[9][10]
Much of the island was initiallysettled by Greek colonists, who left a preference forfish,wheat,olives,grapes,broad beans,chickpeas,lentils,almonds,pistachios, and fresh vegetables.Arab influences on Sicilian cuisine trace to theArab domination of Sicily in the 10th and early 11th centuries,[11] and include the use ofsugar,citrus,rice,raisins,pine nuts and spices such assaffron,nutmeg, andcinnamon.Norman influences are also found, such as in the fondness formeat dishes.[12] TheJewish community, who lived in the island, also left their mark on the Sicilian cuisine, they were responsible for introducing garlic fried in olive oil into the sauce.[13] Later, theSpanish introducednumerous items from the New World, includingcocoa,maize,peppers,zucchini,potatoes, andtomatoes, along with otherproduce.[11] Much of the island's cuisine encourages the use of fresh vegetables such aseggplant,artichoke, and tomatoes, and fish such astuna,sea bream,sea bass,cuttlefish, andswordfish. InTrapani in the extreme western corner of the island,North African influences are clear in the use ofcouscous.
The starters (calledantipasti) are an important aspect of Sicilian cuisine. Common Sicilian starters includecaponata andgatò di patate (a kind of potato and cheese pie).
Maccu is a Siciliansoup and foodstuff prepared withfava beans as a primary ingredient.[14] It is apeasant food[15] andstaple that dates back toancient history.[14]Maccu di San Giuseppe (lit. 'maccu of St. Joseph') is a traditional Sicilian dish that consists of various ingredients andmaccu.[16] The dish may be prepared onSaint Joseph's Day in Sicily, to clear out pantries and allow room for the spring's new crops of vegetables.[16]
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Sicily is the oldest Italian and Western location on record wherepasta worked into long and thin form was part of the local cuisine. This dates back to around the 12th century, as attested by theTabula Rogeriana ofMuhammad al-Idrisi, reporting some traditions about theKingdom of Sicily.[17]
Spaghetti ai ricci di mare (spaghetti prepared withsea urchin),[18]pastacon le sarde (withsardines) andpasta alla Norma (with eggplant and a specialty that originated inCatania) are the most popular pasta dishes that are typically Sicilian.Cannelloni is another common dish. Another popular dish in eastern Sicily is pasta withcapuliato.
After the pasta, the typical Sicilian menu includes a second or main dish (secondi) based on meat or fish. Main dishes based on seafood arecouscousal pesce andpesce spada alla ghiotta (swordfish).
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Traditional sugar statues, calledpupa di cena, are still made, although now featuring modern celebrities or culture figures.[19]
Sweets are another specialty. Examples include:frutta martorana,pignolata of Messina,buccellato,cannoli,granita,cassatasiciliana and thecrocetta di Caltanissetta, a sweet that disappeared and was rediscovered in 2014.[20]
Candy in Sicily was heavily influenced by the Arab candymakers in the 9th century, and Sicilian candy has preserved more of that influence than almost any other place in Europe.[19]Marzipan fruits may have been invented at theConvent of Eloise at Martorana in the 14th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries, many Sicilian monasteries produced candies and pastries, some with fertility themes. The only surviving convent to follow this tradition is the Monastery of theVirgins of Palermo, which makes breast-shaped cakes in honor of SaintAgatha of Sicily.[19]
Granita is particularly famous and well known. It is a semi-frozen dessert of sugar, water, and flavourings originally from the island, and is commonly associated withMessina orCatania, even though there is no evident proof that it hails from any particular Sicilian city. Related tosorbet andItalian ice, in most of Sicily it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. Food writerJeffrey Steingarten says that "the desired texture seems to vary from city to city" on the island; on the west coast and inPalermo, it is at its chunkiest, and in the east it is nearly as smooth assorbet.[21] This is largely the result of different freezing techniques: the smoother types are produced in agelato machine, while the coarser varieties are frozen with only occasional agitation, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals.
Citrus fruits are a popular ingredient in Sicilian cuisine. Many were first introduced by theArabs from the 9th to 11th centuries, but some, such as the Washington navel fromBrazil, have been brought to the island more recently. Examples of citrus fruits found in Sicily are:[22]
The drink most often served with the main meal in Sicily iswine. The soil and climate in Sicily are ideal forgrowing grapes, mainly due toMount Etna, and a wine-making tradition on the island has existed since at least 4000 BC.[23] Today, all Sicilian provinces produce wine and Sicilian wine produced by modern methods has established itself on the European wine market.
Sicilianred wines have an alcoholic content of 12.5 to 13.5% and are usually drunk in the evening with roast or grilled meat. Well-known red wines include theCerasuolo di Vittoria and theNero d'Avola, mainly those produced aroundNoto (Siracusa). The dry andwhite wines androsés usually have an alcoholic content from 11.5 to 12.5% and are mainly consumed with fish, poultry and pasta dishes. Sicily is also known for producingdessert wines, such asMarsala and theMalvasia delle Lipari.
Other common Sicilian alcoholic drinks includelimoncello, a lemon liqueur, andAmaro Averna, a herbal drink, which is often consumed after meals as adigestive.
Sicilians eat large quantities of street food, including the renownedarancini (a form ofdeep-fried ricecroquettes). Popular street foods include,pani câ meusa andpane epanelle in thePalermo region,cartocciate [it] andcipolline in theCatania region, andfocaccia messinese [it] andpidone [it]messinese (orpitone orpidune, in dialect)[24] in theMessina area.
Arancini, also known asarancine, areItalianrice balls that are stuffed, coated withbreadcrumbs anddeep-fried. They are a staple of Sicilian cuisine. The most common arancini fillings areal ragù oral sugo, filled withragù (meat or mince, slow-cooked at low temperature with tomato sauce and spices),mozzarella orcaciocavallo cheese, and oftenpeas, andal burro orô burru, filled withprosciutto and mozzarella orbéchamel sauce. A number of regional variants exist which differ in their fillings and shape.Arancini al ragù produced in eastern Sicily, particularly in cities such asCatania andMessina, have aconical shape inspired by the volcanoEtna.[25]
Media related toCuisine of Sicily at Wikimedia Commons
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