Discover Sicilian enogastronomy

Traveling to Italy is always a unique experience! Another unique experience is Italian enogastronomy! It is one of the most famous in the world and the perfect harmonization of ingredients makes it unique! Shall we learn more about Sicily? This incredible region, full of flavors and aromas! You can’t miss this experience in Sicily! Let’s get to our post of the day! Discover Sicilian enogastronomy. Here at Your Travel to Italy with Ana Patriciayou make the trip of your dreams!!! ALSO: see our “Accommodation in Italy – Tips for your holidays!”

Introduction

This text is for those who want to know the renowned tradition of Sicilian enogastronomy. Sicilian cuisine has its roots in the tradition and the past of this beautiful island. The succession of different heterogeneous peoples and cultures has created, over the centuries, a fascinating variety of gastronomy, where the ancient contributions of Magna Graecia, reminiscent of noble French cuisine and exotic Arabian aromas, blend wonderfully with the typical Mediterranean diet, one of the most fascinating and tasty culinary traditions in the world. Read also What are the 10 must-see cities in Sicily?

For a few other places, such as Sicily, talking about cuisine is like taking a journey within the journey, discovering dishes that open up perspectives of time and suggest images of places. Precisely for all these reasons, Sicily is in second place among the regions most sought after by tourists for the proposal of the combination of food and wine.

Note

The term “Enogastronomic” (you can also find it written as “enogastronomy”) means “gastronomy and wine tourism”. Essentially, it is an Italian word and, also, it is a “new” word and not very common “YET”! Get to know our section on food in Italy, clicking here!

1) Discover Sicilian enogastronomy: GET TO KNOW ITS PRODUCTS

Each corner of this region is rich in specific products and flavors that blend with its geographical position in a delightful balance between land and sea. The variety of dishes is rich in products, spices and fragrances that witness how the island found itself in the spotlight of people everywhere. The many dominations left monuments and ruins in memory of its splendor of the past, deeply marked the landscape with the harvests introduced and sowed vestiges of habits and ways of life that are still found today, especially in our kitchen. Everywhere on this island there are specialties. Considered a land where cuisine is considered “poor”, the habit of a “single dish” is common.

2) Discover Sicilian enogastronomy: GET TO KNOW ITS TYPICAL DISHES

An example is pasta with sardines, a dish that spread from Palermo throughout the island, pasta with vegetables and many variations of cooked pasta, such as the famous pasta “ncasciata”, which we also find in Montalbano. Next, the rich variations of cultural echoes, such as the “catanese alla Norma” pasta (with tomatoes, eggplants and salted ricotta).

Sicilian Bread

Another fundamental product of Sicilian cuisine is bread, always accompanied with the products offered by the region. The most common bread is cunsato (seasoned), to be consumed hot, fresh, or, in the most “unusual”, known as ca ‘meusa, sold at stalls on the streets of Palermo. Returning to historical influences, we owe the Arabs the introduction of citrus fruits, sugar, cinnamon and saffron, in addition to the rice that here has had different methods of preparation in culinary uses.

Arancini

Just think of the arancini. The arancina is “fimmina” (with fillings of meat and peas or ham and cheese sauce), a kind of emblem of the island’s cuisine, often the first ‘gastronomic meeting’ when taking a trip in Sicily. In this western part of Sicily, marked by Arab influence and court traditions, the cuisine becomes richer, more refined and has unusual contrasts.

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3) Discover Sicilian enogastronomy: GET TO KNOW THE INFLUENCES

The austere simplicity of the Greek temples replaces the refinements of the ‘one thousand and one nights’ of the Arab Palermo and the overabundance of the architecture of the Baroque buildings. This part of the island overlooks the northwest coast and includes the provinces of Palermo, Trapani and Agrigento; here it is a real treasure, from the landscape to the food, everything will get you pleasantly enchanted. You will also be surprised by the part of Eastern Sicily, which includes the provinces of Messina, Catania, Syracuse and Ragusa.

This area is rich in parks, volcanoes, seaside resorts and architectural works that succeed one another in a whirlwind of wonders. This corner of Sicily is a mountain of seascapes that coexist with excellent food and wine, featuring DOC wines from Etna to pair with dishes of raw fish and which also serve to enjoy on the terrace overlooking the sea, perhaps, in beautiful Taormina. If you stop by Catania, be sure to take a street food tour, you will love it! Click here to learn more!

4) Discover Sicilian enogastronomy: TAKE A GASTRONOMIC ITINERARY

Let’s go on a small tour through the beautiful Sicily.

Catania

Our tour has to start from Catania, the capital of this part of the world, with its constant sun, the black stone buildings blackened by the ashes of Etna and a maze of streets that hide culture and gastronomy. In Catania, the arancino belongs to the ‘boy’, therefore, the eternal effort with Palermo (where there is no ‘commitment’ to call them ‘arancini’), both the name for the form, which is, for the most part, conical in Catania.

Syracuse

It is impossible not to stop in Syracuse. This city, probably the second most beautiful in Sicily, does not ‘live’ only from days gone by when it was the most important Greek colony, the island of Ortygia still offers rich suggestions, both artistic and gastronomic. Traditional dishes from Syracuse include fried pasta, almonds, Cavatelli roe, in addition to cherry, Caponata, Pizzolo (two overlapping pizzas, seasoned with oil, salt and oregano, which can be filled, even, with jam or savory) and Giuggiulena (nougat with orange peel and almond paste).

Ragusa

And then there is Ragusa, one of the most important places due to the presence of evidence of Baroque art, with its extraordinary typical products, such as Cosacavaddu ibleo or rausanu, distinctive cheese with a spicy flavor and which is one of the oldest in all of Sicily. Modica chocolate, Avola almonds, Pachino tomatoes, Sortino honey and Bronte pistachios are also worth mentioning. Visiting Sicily and leaving without tasting a bit of its wine offer is perhaps more serious than going to Rome and not seeing the Pope. The island’s wines were once considered ‘weak’, but today there are table wines and designations of origin that reserve moments of intense pleasure.

5) Discover Sicilian enogastronomy: GET TO KNOW ITS WINES

Sicily has many DOC products and of protected origin, and among the best wines in Italy, you can count on nineteen DOC and seven IGT labels, including Nero d’Avola, Malvasia and Moscato Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Among dessert wines, in addition to the famous Marsala, Moscato di Noto, Passito di Pantelleria and Malvasia delle Isole Lipari are worth mentioning. After wine, Sicilian sweets are part of everyday habits and gain special attention for their odors that remain in the air like that of odorous plants (rosemary, wild fennel, oregano, nepitella) found throughout the journey. Read also: The 10 best wineries in Sicily

6) Discover Sicilian enogastronomy: GET TO KNOW THE DESSERTS

The desserts created in the convents, such as the colorful Martoran frutta, which bears the name of the monastery of the same name in Palermo, pleasantly invade the island. Cannoli, Cassate, Pignoccata, Biancomangiare or the traditional gelo di melone (watermelon gelatin) are the most common, but each province has its own novelty. Don’t forget the gelato and granita, the exquisite handicraft products, nor the habits that they treat as rituals that speak of other dimensions of time. It is considered an obligation, on summer days, to offer the guest a granita of coffee, lemon or almond.

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How to get to Sicily?

Reaching Sicily’s fabulous destinations is not difficult. The land of the sun, thanks to the countless connections, is at your fingertips. Planes, ferries, ships, trains, buses, everything that can satisfy different needs.

1) How to get to Sicily? BY AIRPLANE

Sicily is served by five airports, two of which are international. The main airports are Catania Airport and Palermo Punta Raisi Airport, called Falcone and Borsellino. Then there is Trapani airport, which is growing steadily, which receives a large number of airlines and flights to Italian and European cities every day. And finally, the airports of Lampedusa and Pantelleria, with direct flights to the main cities to and from the peninsula.

2) How to get to Sicily? BY TRAIN

If you prefer the train, Sicily is linked to the rest of the peninsula by the national group FS Ferrovie dello Stato – Trenitalia. The railways connect all the provinces of Sicily.

Did you know that Trenitalia is the main Italian company dedicated to the management of rail transport? Find out “What is the difference between trains in Italy?”. Would you like to save? So buy your ticket online in advance and save a lot, read the Post “How to buy a train ticket in Italy?“.

3) How to get to Sicily? BY SHIP

It is also possible to reach Sicily by sea. The main points of reference are the ports of Messina, Palermo, Catania, Augusta, Trapani, Gela and Porto Empedocle in Agrigento. Other smaller, but important for tourism are the marinas of Cefalù, San Vito Lo Capo and Pozzallo.

4) How to get to Sicily? BY CAR

For those who want to reach Sicily by car or motorbike, the quickest route is (obviously based on origin) is Strada del Sole. You can go from Naples to Reggio Calabria and take the exit at Villa San Giovanni, for the ferries that cross the strait.

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Conclusion

Discover Sicilian enogastronomy. Fragrant spices and aromatic herbs, as well as a wide variety of fried foods, mouth-watering desserts, dried fruits and citrus fruits from a sun-kissed land, make this land magical! You just have to let yourself be ‘kidnapped’ by the flavors of Sicily. This island remains in a territory ready to explore, capable of remaining indelibly in the soul of travelers.

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