Sicily Food Guide: The Flavors of Sicilian Cuisine and What to Eat There
Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean. Steeped in tradition and influenced by surrounding countries and centuries of conquering armies. The island is famous for its cathedrals, vineyards, island beaches, and amazing architecture.
The Palermo Opera House and UNESCO Baroque churches in Noto and Modica are world-renowned Sicilian architectural landmarks, along with the Greek Temples of the Valley of Temples located in Agrigento.
But perhaps more than anything else, culinary travelers come here for the food as cities like Catania and Palermo are among Italy’s best food cities.
Sicilian food is unique in the world, even within the definition of typical Italian food. You just can’t travel to Sicily without meandering into the gelaterías, restaurants, markets and cafés that serve the typical Sicilian food and regional wine that the island is famous for.
Food in Sicily is unique to the world and distinctive in flavor. Ask any person from Sicily about their heritage and you won’t hear the world Italian.
Rather, they and everything about them — especially their food — is Sicilian.
And the real beauty is that much of it is made and crafted as it has been for centuries.
Espresso and citrus break in Sicily
Sicily is home to world-famous foods like the cannoli, artichokes, rustic Italian breads, and all things citrus.
There are many lesser-known but equally taste-tantalizing delicacies such as the world-famous and largely sought after Gambero red prawns, and the chocolate made in the town of Modica.
The food here is so steeped in local tradition and flavor that you can only find in Sicily where almost all of the fare is locally harvested and bursting with fresh local flavor.
Aided by some of the most fertile volcanic soil in the world, and surrounded by water, Sicily continues to remind us that the good flavor of Sicilian cuisine and traditional Sicilian dishes comes from your Nonna, Mother Nature, the Earth and the Sea.
Sicilian Fruits and Vegetables
One of the most fantastic things about fruits and vegetables in Sicily is that they’re almost all grown locally with the exception of a few fruits such as bananas and pineapples which are imported.
Head to the Ballaro Market in Palermo for one of the best Italian foodie experiences you can have in Sicily!
Throughout the island depending on the growing season, vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, olives, aubergines, capers, garlic, onions, peas, broad beans, and chickpeas are grown amid a myriad of locally grown aromatic herbs and a vast selection of legumes and mushrooms.
An astounding 67% of the citrus farms in all of Italy are located in Sicily. It’s safe to say that there is no shortage of citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges.
Actually, lemons and a fruit called Citron, a large aromatic citrus fruit with a bumpy thick rind, were both initially introduced to the island by the Greeks.
These two fruits, in particular, are generally grown in Piana di Catania.
Tarocco, the Sicilian blood orange, is a fruit that is actually only grown in Sicily and is absolutely exclusive to the island.
This fruit can’t be exported because it can’t be waxed, and the skin can’t be removed before shipping.
Sugared oranges
Other fruits on offer include tree fruits such as peaches, oranges, mandarin, cherries, and prickly pears in addition to strawberries, mulberries, melons, and watermelons that are grown on the vine.
Given the importance of a chilled glass of wine with each meal in Sicily, the perfect glass of wine, it’s a given that the country is home to many many vineyards as well.
Seasonal Effect on Sicilian Produce
There are four traditional seasons in Sicily each boasting its own edible (and drinkable) offerings.
If you’re. a fan of Italian liqueurs, Sicily makes some good ones mostly from the abundance of unique locally grown fruits.
Winters in Sicily feature fruits such as oranges and mandarins, as well as lemons and grapes. Vegetables on offer include broccoli, hardy chard, aubergines, chicory, in addition to nuts such as walnuts.
The sweet smell of spring brings with it the sweet smell of medlars, also called loquat, a small orange fruit that migrated to Sicily from Japan. Strawberries, apricots, cherries, and little bitty sweet pears are also abundant.
The countryside produces fennel, artichokes, and asparagus during this time of year.
Summer brings with it sweet fruits such as peaches and cantaloupe as well as prune plums.
During the latter part of summer, grapes are ready for harvest as well. In the summer, grapes are really coming in thick and are being joined by an abundance of olives as well!
Medlar fruit, also known as loquat
Sicilian Pasta and Rice
Arancini (rice balls)
Rice balls known as arancini are a popular Sicilian street food and snack food. In fact, these fried rice treats are such a popular street food found throughout Italy, though the regional variations are distinct depending on where you are.
Arancini originated in Sicily and can be filled with everything from ground meat such as lamb, beef, or pork, or even prosciutto, and veggies like peas and onions.
But the one ingredients most have in common is cheese which helps to bind the rice together along with a touch of tomato sauce in the center.
Three kinds of arancini
Pasta and pesto are plentiful in Sicily, and it’s interesting to note the different pasta shapes that are unique to Sicily as opposed to northern Italy.
Sicily features dozens of varieties of pasta and even more pasta-based dishes.
Sicilians, like most southern Italians, favor spaghetti and bucatini (hollow spaghetti noodles), though either pasta can then be turned into one of Sicily’s favorite pasta dishes, Pasta alla Norma, which makes good use of eggplant, or aubergine, one of Sicily’s signature vegetables.
Given Sicily’s love affair with all things seafood, Pasta con Sarde (pasta with sardines) is a popular pasta dish. Look for the sardines to be fried then chopped or ground and mixed with toasted breadcrumbs for binding the fish to the noodles.
If you love sardines, you’ll love this uniquely Sicilian take on pasta. Spaghetti or Bucatini with Red Prawns is often topped with grated bottarga, quite a luxurious option found in many fine-dining restaurants on the island.
More pasta and seafood dish combinations are made with sea urchins and also cuttlefish ink — the end result is pasta with deep dark black sauce!
Meats Commonly Found in Sicily
Carnivores traveling to Sicily will have lots of meat options for dining. Veal, pig, lamb, beef, and goat are readily found. Horse meat is also a local favorite, as is rabbit, one of our personal favorites.
Horsemeat is said by locals and adventurous travelers to be very flavorful but tougher than say a beef steak so a bit more of a chore to chew.
We’ve had it in Bologna, air-dried like brasciole, and it was tasty though nothing distinctive.
Pigs in Sicily are raised for pork generally in an open environment where they’re allowed to roam free. They’re often fed with food left from cheese production or with local nuts and berries. This gives the pork a deep, rich and sweet flavor.
Sicily like most of Italy is recognized globally for its richly flavorful selection of cured meats and salami such as the Salame of San’t Angelo di Brolo.
Veal is always a popular choice in Sicily
Sicilian Seafood
Sicily is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea so it’s no surprise that there is plenty of local seafood available including fresh local sea bass, swordfish, tuna, gold bream, clams, scabbard fish, squid (calamari), octopus, mussels, prawns, sardines and anchovies.
You will find the freshest seafood available in coastal towns especially within the major fishing ports such as the Ports of Acei Trezza, Castellammare del Golfo Mazara del Vallo, Maramemi, Pozzallo, and Sciacca.
There are three ways to harvest absolutely fresh Sicilian seafood. The first is to be aboard the boat that nets the fish and eat it right there while you’re on board — doesn’t get any fresher than that.
Since that’s not always a practical option — and let’s face it, fishing boats just don’t offer the same luxurious feel as would a fine dining establishment on a quiet cobblestone street featuring a well-aged wine list and white linen tablecloths — the next option is to meet the boat at the dock and buy the fish there.
Actually, this is both the second and the third way.
The difference between the two is that some fishing companies feature vessels that are equipped to freeze the fish at sea. This preserves the freshness and provides an extra protection of the flavor that the fare demands.
Fish market in Catania
Fishmongers and Fish Markets
As one of the largest Fish Markets in all of Italy, the fish market La Pescheria located in Catania features fresh seafood, cheese, and local wines.
Not only is this a wonderful place to buy and to try different local foods, the fish market is an experience all of its own.
As you make your way through the marketplace among the smells and brilliant colors, local merchants call out in booming voices accompanied by dramatic gestures to get the attention of visitors and potential customers to the market in an effort to showcase their wares.
The selection varies by day as you might expect. Commonly available, however, are various fish including sea bass, swordfish, fresh tuna, gold bream, clams, scabbard fish, squid, octopus, mussels, prawns, sardines and anchovies (to name a few) as well as other non-seafood items such as local cheeses, vegetables grown in local villages, and local mushrooms too!
Sicilian Red Prawns (Gambero Rosso di Sicilia)
Found in the depths of the Mediterranean, the Sicilian Red Prawn, known also as Gambero Rosso di Sicilia are not only a Sicilian Delicacy, they’re the center of quite the controversy!
It seems the Libyan Government and the fishermen bringing the delicacy from the depths of the Mediterranean disagree on the boundaries of Libya which has resulted in the confiscation of fishing boats, the capture of fishermen, and a vast reduction in those fishing famous Red Prawns coming to Sicily.
Given the dangers that fishermen face procuring this treasure of the sea, it’s no surprise at all that the Red Prawns found in Sicily are largely regarded as the most expensive prawns in the entire world.
It isn’t just the danger faced in pulling Gambero Rosso di Sicilia from the sea though that makes them such a rare and expensive delicacy.
The prawns rare red coloring and the distinct flavor that comes from the deep depths of the Mediterranean where they dwell and the plethora of minerals that the Prawns feed on are what makes them so distinct and sought after by some of the most famous chefs in the world.
Sicilian Seafood Soup
One of the most sought after dishes in Sicily is Sicilian Seafood Soup. In addition to tastebud tantalizers like Saffron and white wine, the local fishermen provide an array of seafood featured in the soup including, but not limited to: swordfish, shrimp, muscles, calamari, and clams.
Bottarga
Sicilian Bottarga is a local delicacy that’s referred to as the Gold of the Mediterranean. Bottarga is made from the roe (eggs) of locally caught tuna.
Once harvested, bottarga is preserved with salt and dried. Its served much like parmesan cheese — grated over pasta and other Sicilian dishes.
In other places around the world, Bottarga is made with both tuna and mullet roe. However in Sicily, only tuna roe is used.
Sicilian Desserts, Sweets & Treats
Authentic Sicilian Cannoli
A cannoli in Sicily is like no other. One of the most popular Sicilian sweets, the crunchy outer shell of the cannoli is stuffed with a fresh ricotta cheese filling enhanced by just a splash of lemon and a dash of sugar.
Cannolo are so beloved in Sicily that there’s practically a cannoli food festival anywhere you might be visiting!
In Sicily, the filling of a cannoli is typically not piped into the crunchy outer shell until you order it thus allowing you to actually enjoy the moment you bite into that crunchy shell just before you wrap your taste buds around the locally made fresh ricotta filling.
Cassata Siciliana
A lesser-known dessert will engulf your taste buds in rich decadent luxury combined with the flavor explosion of fresh candied fruit.
At the same time you’ll be in awe of the breathtaking and painstakingly created display of art that is the Cassata Siciliana, a cake that signifies Easter Celebration in Sicily.
This lavish cake is made by dipping the first layer into liqueur. Then the liqueur soaked layer of angel food cake is covered in sweetened ricotta cheese.
At the baker’s discretion, the ricotta cheese can be mixed with chocolate chips.
After that, the cake is covered in marzipan... Can you imagine? Under that marzipan is a layer of chocolate chips and more marzipan over angel food cake.
Next, a green ring is frosted around the top of the marzipan and cassata is topped with small candied slices of fruit.
Traditional Cassata Siciliana cake
Granita and Brioche
Imagine tart lemon coming together with pistachio, almond, and sometimes gelsi in a sweet but mildly tart fruit known as the “Sicilian Mulberry”, sweetened with a bit of glistening sugar. Or a light refreshing lemon-y ice that’s good anytime of day.
That is a granita, a refreshing and icy concoction in southern Italy with a consistency somewhere between a shake and a sno-cone, and served with a spoon.
Granitas can be made in just about any flavor you might imagine though almond and citrus flavored granitas are very Sicilian.
As an added option, granita is often served for breakfast in the summer season alongside one of Sicily’s unique types of bread — brioche.
A hot brioche bun fresh from the oven makes an interesting but seemingly perfect accompaniment to the icy cool granita.
Can you think of any better way to start your day?
Chocolate from Modica
Are you a chocoholic? If you’re visiting Sicily, there’s a small town within a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of eight late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto) that’s not only quaint and historic, it’s known for making the distinctive chocolate that bears the town name.
Modica chocolate is inspired by the traditions of the ancient Aztecs and their chocolate-making methods.
Generations of chocolate-makers still grind the chocolate using age-old techniques and tools like the Aztec-style metates made from volcanic stone from Mt. Etna.
Not only is Modica chocolate healthy because of its high amount of pure cacao, it’s delicious too, and works well in many popular Sicilian sweets.
And let’s not forget how yummy candied citrus is with a dip into chocolate. There’s no better taste sensation than that!
What Sicilian foods are we missing? And how many have you tried?
