SICILIAN FOOD OUR ADVICE IN PALERMO

Sfincione is a local form of pizza made with tomatoes, onions and (sometimes) anchovies. Prepared on a thick bread and more likely found in a bakery than in a pizzeria, sfincione is good as a snack or appetizer.

Caponata, a tasty salad made with eggplant (aubergines), olives, capers and celery, makes a great appetizer. There is also an artichoke-based version of this traditional dish, though you're less likely to find it in most restaurants.

Panelle are a thin paste made of crushed or powdered beans and served fried

Crocchè are fried potato dumplings made with chees parsley and eggs

Sicilians usually eat it in the middle of the bread

You can order:

Panino con panelle (only panelle)

Panino con crocchè (only crocchè)

Panino misto (with both, we hihly advice)

Arancine are fried rice balls stuffed with meat or cheese. Arancine is Italian for "little oranges", in fact the balls of rice look aabout the same size of an orange.

We have different versions but the most typicals are:

Arancina con carne (with meat and peas)

Arancina al burro (with ham and cheese)

Traditional day for Arancine is the 13th of december (Santa Lucia) when for tradition people do not usually eat pasta, but they eat products with rice. In that day most of the people eat at least an arancina (sometimes even 4!).

Traditional sea-food recipes

Sicily is renowned for its seafood. Grilled swordfish is popular. Smaller fish, especially snapper, is sometimes prepared in a vinegar and sugar sauce. Seppia (cuttlefish) is served in its own black sauce with pasta.

Another Sicilian seafood dish made with pasta is finochio con sarde (fennel with sardines).

Another traditional plate of Sicilian kitchen is "Risotto alla pescatora", rice with clams, mussels, shrimps.

Pane con Milza is a very popular mMeat dish in Sicily.

Milza (veal spleen) sandwiches are a bit "native" for most tastes, and loaded with cholesterol, but delicious anyway. It comes from poor Sicilian kitchen

You can eat:

"pane con milza schiettu" (it means "single" in Sicilian) with just spleen meat and lemon

"pane con milza maritato" (it means "married" in Sicilian) with an add of cheese or ricotta.

Cannoli rapresent a staple of Sicilian cuisine famous in all the world.

They are tubular crusts with creamy ricotta and sugar filling. If they taste a little different from the ones you've had outside Italy, that's because the ricotta here is made from sheep's milk.

Cannolo is diminuitive of "Canna" (tube), they are typical all year but especially during the Carnival time.

Cassata is a rich, sugary cake filled with the same delicious filling.

It is one of the most tradition sweet from Sicily and it consists of round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit. You usually find as well decorative designs (like in the picture)

Another version of Cassata is done in the oven (in this case we call it "Cassata al forno") with pieces of chocolate.

Tiramisù is totally dellicious. It is cool refreshing Italian dessert that once tasted, leaves an indelible impression on you. The original recipe has mascarpone cheese. The basic ingredients are also  eggs  arnival time, ladyfingers, cream, espresso coffee, liquor brandy, marsala, rum, a little bit of sugar, cacao or shaved chocolate.

Frutta di martorana (or pasta reale) are almond marzipan pastries colored and shaped to resemble real fruit. They are very sweet and tasty.

Sicilian gelato (ice cream) is excellent.

In fact, it is possible that ice cream was invented in Sicily during Roman times, when a relay of runners would bring snow down from Mount Etna to be flavored and served to wealthy patricians. You'll find flavors ranging from pistachio and hazelnut (nocciola) to jasmine (gelsomino) to mulberry (gelsi) to strawberry (fragala) and rum (zuppa inglese).

Granita is sweetened crushed ice made in Summer and flavored with lemons or strawberries.

It is typical from Messina area (they usually eat with brioche) but you can easily find in Palermo as well.