Food in Sicily

Food is such a big part of everyday life in Sicily. Most people purchase foods to be consumed daily. Specialty stores like panificios (bakery) and pescherias (fish market) are staples in finding fresh, local and delicious foods.

Anytime we travel, we immerse ourselves in the culture and cuisine of where we visit. Since we ate so well in Sicily, we wanted to share some of the unique and delicious foods we tried.

Arancini– so you may have heard of this amazing food before. In the US it is often referred to as a rice ball classically made with cheese and meat sauce. At the Scirocco Fish Lab found in the pescheria di Catania area, we tried fish arancini made with squid ink. Friends, it was love at first bite, they were so good! Carne di cavallo/ horse meat– horse is not a very common meat in the US. Some may not find it appetizing or visually appealing. However, when in Italy, do as the Italians do, isn’t that the saying!? We enjoyed horse meat in many forms at Enzu Da Chianca – Macelleria Equina. We particularly liked horse meat balls also known as “puppetta” in Sicilian (see the second picture). Fish– You can easily find fish in Catania almost in every neighborhood. Most fish is caught daily and very fresh. One of our favorite places to eat fish is at I Cavaddari in Acireale.Pistacchio– Pistacchio from Bronte is said to be the best in Sicily. We couldn’t agree more! Caffetteria Luca is a great place to sample the tasty pistacchio desserts. We promise, you will not regret it! Granita– move over Italian ice because granita is the REAL deal! When in Catania, almond granita at Bar Gusto Privitera is the best refreshment in town! Of course, we can’t forget about the sweet, hot, brioche! Granita comes in many flavors including lemon, chocolate, strawberry and pistacchio. Oftentimes, seasonal fruit flavors are available too!