Sicilian cuisine

Sicilian cuisineis 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.Although its cuisine has much in common withItalian cuisine, Sicilian food also hasGreek,Spanish,Jewish,Maghrebi, andArabinfluences.
The Sicilian cookMithaecus, born during 5th century BC, is credited with having brought knowledge of Sicilian gastronomy toGreece:his cookbook was the first in Greek, therefore he was the earliest cookbook author in any language whose name is known.
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.Arabinfluences on Sicilian cuisine trace to theArab domination of Sicilyin the 10th and early 11th centuries,and include the use ofsugar,citrus,rice,raisins,pine nutsand spices such assaffron,nutmeg, andcinnamon.Normaninfluences are also found, such as in the fondness formeatdishes.TheJewishcommunity, 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.Later, theSpanishintroducednumerous items from the New World, includingcocoa,maize,peppers,zucchini,potatoes, andtomatoes, along with otherproduce.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. InTrapaniin the extreme western corner of the island,North Africaninfluences are clear in the use ofcouscous.
The starters (calledantipasti) are an important aspect of Sicilian cuisine. Common Sicilian starters includecaponataandgatò di patate(a kind of potato and cheese pie).
Maccuis a Siciliansoupand foodstuff prepared withfava beansas a primary ingredient.It is apeasant foodandstaplethat dates back toancient history.Maccu di San Giuseppe(lit.'maccuof St. Joseph') is a traditional Sicilian dish that consists of various ingredients andmaccu.The dish may be prepared onSaint Joseph's Dayin Sicily, to clear out pantries and allow room for the spring's new crops of vegetables.
Sicily is the oldest Italian and Western location on record wherepastaworked into long and thin form was part of the local cuisine. This dates back to around the 12th century, as attested by theTabula RogerianaofMuhammad al-Idrisi, reporting some traditions about theKingdom of Sicily.
Spaghetti ai ricci di mare(spaghettiprepared withsea urchin),pastacon le sarde(withsardines) andpasta alla Norma(a specialty that originated inCatania) are the most popular pasta dishes that are typically Sicilian.Cannelloniis 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 pesceandpesce spada alla ghiotta(swordfish).
Sweets are another specialty. Examples include:frutta martorana,pignolata of Messina,buccellato,cannoli,granita,cassatasicilianaand thecrocetta di Caltanissetta, a sweet that disappeared and was rediscovered in 2014.
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.Marzipanfruits may have been invented at theConvent of Eloise at Martoranain 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.
Traditional sugar statues, calledpupa di cena, are still made, although now featuring modern celebrities or culture figures.
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 withMessinaorCatania, even though there is no evident proof that it hails from any particular Sicilian city. Related tosorbetandItalian ice, in most of Sicily it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. Food writerJeffrey Steingartensays 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.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 fruitsare a popular ingredient in Sicilian cuisine. Many were first introduced by theArabsfrom 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:
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.Today, all Sicilian provinces produce wine and Sicilian wine produced by modern methods has established itself on the European wine market.
Sicilianred wineshave 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 Vittoriaand theNero d'Avola, mainly those produced aroundNoto(Siracusa). The dry andwhite winesandrosésusually 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 asMarsalaand 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-friedricecroquettes). Popular street foods include,pani câ meusaandpane epanellein thePalermoregion,cartocciate[it]andcipollinein theCataniaregion, andfocaccia messinese[it]andpidone[it]messinese(orpitoneorpidune, in dialect)in theMessinaarea.