8 things you must eat when you go to Sicily
Food and holidays go hand in hand and nowhere is this truer than on a trip to Italy. Each of Italy’s regions has its own dishes and traditions when it comes to food, but the island of Sicily is the origin of some of the best known Italian dishes. Their simple but delicious food shows off their local produce to the best level and the passion behind every dish is evident in their vendors. Whether it's a quick bite to eat on the run, an indulgent dessert or a sit down dinner, we've had a look at some of the best places to try Sicilian food on the island.
Of course as any traveller will tell you, the best way to find the best food in any location is to quite literally follow your nose, but if you’re looking for some pointers, here are eight different stop off's for your food tour of Sicily.
1. Cannoli in Bar Cuccia, Piana degli Albanesi
About 45 minutes outside of Palermo is the small town of Piana degli Albanes. Often the inland attractions of Sicily are overlooked in favour of it's coast but these inland towns can be a great place to get a good value meal and watch the world go by. If this sounds like your thing and you have a sweet tooth then you definitely have to head to Bar Cuccia on Via Martiri Portella Della Ginestra to sample these cannoli. If your knowledge of cannoli doesn't go beyond their repeated mentions in The Godfather films then they are sweet biscuits filled with a chocolate and cheese-like filling. Enough said.
2. Arancini in Bar Oscar
Image courtesy of Chiara Faggella.
Arancina are the kind of food that aren't much to look at but make up for their appearance with their delicious taste. Take some left over ragu or butter sauce, wrap up in rice, coat the rice in bread crumbs and fry. The result is these orange-like balls that give the arancina (arancia is the Italian word for an orange) their name. Head to Pasticceria Oscar in Via Mariano Migliaccio, 39 for what many of the locals would consider the best in the city. Don’t be put off by focus on cakes here, the savoury food is just as delicious. And if you need directions, ask the locals for Bar Oscar rather than Pasticceria Oscar and they’ll point you in the right direction.
3. Pane e panelle at Rosticceria Nnì Franco ù Vastiddaru
One of the best things about travelling is the excitement of discovering the local street food. Panel e panelle are a traditional Sicilian snack of chick pea fritters (the panelle) served in a bread bun (the pane). Head to piazza Marina near the port in Palermo to this age-old shop to get the special, il Triplo: pane, panelle and a bonus layer of aubergine to satisfy you for a midnight snack.
4. Sfincione in Bar Spinnato
Image courtesy of Scott Wiener.
While traditional Italian pizza is known for its wafer thing crispy base, things are done a little differently in Sicily. Sfincione or Sicilian is made from a focaccia-like base with strong flavours such as hard cheese, tomato sauce and anchovies. Bar Spinnato in Via Principe di Belmonte 107-15 which is just off the Via della Liberta is a great late night spot for a bite to eat or just a drink and the service is great for such a reasonable restaurant.
5. Brioche con gelato in Gelateria da Ciccio
Image courtesy of hirotomo t.
Everyone who goes to Italy wants to try the traditional gelato ice-cream, but go one better in Sicily and get the brioche con gelato. Essentially a mega ice-cream sandwich, brioche buns are cut in half, filled with a generous serving of gelato and closed back up. It’s the kind of dessert you think you won’t be able to finish, yet somehow you manage it. Just around the corner from the Palermo Centrale train station is Corso dei Mille, 79 where you’ll find Gelateria da Ciccio. Get there while the brioche is still hot for a dessert experience you won’t forget.
6. Pasta con le sarde in Ristorante Delizie di Cagliostro
Image courtesy of emilee rader.
No trip to Italy would be complete without sampling some of their spectacular seafood. Sardines are a traditional dish throughout the Mediterranean and when they pasta con le sarde is made with fresh, locally-caught sardines it’s the brilliant kind of simple dish that has made Sicily’s food so well-loved. Open since 1981, Ristorante Delizie di Cagliostro is a traditional Sicilian restaurant on the Via Vittorio Emanuele. Pop in and enjoy a long, lazy meal Sicilian style.
7. Pasta alla Norma in Trattoria del Forestiero
Image courtesy of franzconde.
While Palermo is Sicily’s best-known city, the other main town is Catania. In Italy, restaurants come in many different categories and a trattoria is less formal than a ristorante, preferring a smaller menu and a more intimate feel. Pasta alla Norma is a dish every Italian has eaten and is a hearty baked pasta and aubergine dish. While most Sicilians will tell you that the best pasta alla Norma is the one their mother makes, the one in Trattoria del Forestiero on the Via Pietro Antonio Coppola is a close second.
8. Cous cous di Pesce in Ristorante Profumi Di Cous Cous
Image courtesy of Erik.
Although cous cous is a dish more conventionally associated with North Africa, its influence has made it to Sicily where they fused it with their tradition for seafood to make cous cous di Pesce. The dish is particularly around Trapani but it’s served up particularly well in the Ristorante Profumi Di Cous Cous which is in the Ghibli Hotel in the small town of San Vito Lo Capo, between Trapani and Palermo. Only minutes from the golden sandy beaches of Sicily’s north coast, this is a lovely way to end the day, served up of course with a glass of Sicilian wine. Buon appetito!
Written by Mary Plunkett
Mary’s curious personality means that she is forever looking to explore new places and cultures. Like many Irish kids, Mary first got a taste for travel on family camping holidays to France.
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