Food And Wine

Come to Sicily and enjoy the chance to indulge in Sicilian food and wine. Sicily is a region of Italy that boasts some of the most delicious dishes, bursting with flavors and fresh ingredients harvested straight from the land. Local wines have gained worldwide reputations. Sicily is home to the production of Marsala wine, used most famously for cooking and in fact discovered by an English Trader named John Woodhouse back in the 1700s. Try also a glass of Nero D’avola, the most important red wine grape in Sicily, origin from the Siracusa Area. If you wish to try the famous Pane cunzatu (local bread with anchovies, herbs, tomatoes, local cheese, and oil) or Sfincione (the Sicilian equal of pizza), you should definitely go to a local baker. As an island with plenty of coastal territories, fresh seafood is in abundance, and the cuisine of our island actually draws influence from Greek, Arab, Norman, Spanish and French food traditions to make up the fabulous and unique dishes of the Sicilian cuisine. The villages and towns here are famous for cheese, salumi, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, and aubergines, all widely used ingredients that enrich our plates with a truly special flavor. A dish of pasta starts every Italian meal, and it’s no different in Sicily, although the sauces and other ingredients are unique to the island. Eggplant, for example, is a very traditional vegetable used in Sicilian cooking, for example in Pasta alla Norma. Fresh fish and seafood are staples but are prepared in a variety of ways that make every dish a gastronomic surprise, revealing distinctive flavors to delight the palate. Pasta con i ricci di mare (pasta with sea urchin), is a very typical Sicilian dish, instantly beloved by those who try it. Bucatini con le sarde – pasta tubes cooked with fresh sardines, pine nuts, raisins, wild fennel, and breadcrumbs is considered the “national dish” of Sicily. And you shouldn’t miss the typical Trapanese couscous with Fish - an ancient recipe derived from the Arab presence in Sicily. Or treat yourself to a taste of some of the best street food, like Arancino, a ball of breaded and fried rice with meat, cheese and peas or Pane con Panelle e Crocchè. For a very rich dessert, try homemade ice cream, made year round and available in many different flavors. For a truly typical dessert of the region, eat ice cream in a fresh made Brioche like Sicilian people. Renewed Sicilian Dessert include also Cannoli, Cassata Siciliana (sponge cake moistened with fruit juice or liqueur, layered with ricotta and candied fruit). Don’t forget to visit the local markets of the area, where you’ll find all seasonal fruits and vegetables. Yum!