Holiday Homes in Sicily

FOOD AND WINE OF SICILY

The ancient Sicilian gastronomic traditions combine ingredients of the sea and mountains. Even if considered an Italian cuisine, Sicilian gastronomy has a lot of Greek and Arab influences. The use of citrus, saffron, pine nuts and cinnamon comes from the Arabs and the couscous shows North African origin. The towns and villages along the coast of Sicily offer excellent and fresh seafood flavored with herbs, garlic or capers and olives. Stay in our holiday homes in the countryside to taste the unforgettable flavor of Sicily. The most typical dishes in Sicily are macaroni with cuttlefish stewed with tomato. In Catania fish, olives and broad beans are preferred, a legacy left by the Greek colonists. Here you'll have the chance to taste Pasta alla Norma, a pasta with eggplant and tomato. A popular dish in Syracuse is spaghetti with anchovies. Messina is famous for its swordfish stuffed into a sweet pastry shell.

A typical dish in Palermo is “pasta con le sarde” made with local durum wheat and containing sardines, fennel, pine nuts, raisins and anchovies. Rice dishes or risotto are especially good with Sicilian lemons, cuttlefish ink or greens. Arancini are balls of rice stuffed with cheese, chopped meat, peas and tomatoes fried in the form of round, golden shapes resembling oranges. Mellanzane alla Siciliana is a hot favorite made of eggplant fried and baked with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Although the Sicilian gastronomy is associated with seafood and meat dishes including lamb, goat, pork goose, turkey are excellently prepared. Sausages are always spiced and made with fennel seeds. A popular traditional meat dish is “vitello ala marsalla” pork or lamb cooked in sweet marsala wine. Caponata is a very popular local delicacy, a cooked vegetable salad made of fried and chopped eggplant seasoned with celery in a sauce made of sweetened vinegar and capers. The luxury version contains lobster and swordfish garnished with wild asparagus, grated tuna roe and shrimp. Finocchio con sarde is a mouthwatering appetizer served at room temperature made of fennel with sardines. If you can't get enough of Sicilian food, rent every year our holiday homes in Sicily.

Sicilian sweets are incomparable and deservedly famous. One of the greatest is cassata – a rich sugary cake filled with ricotta cheese and sugar. Cannolis are tubular fried pastries stuffed with ricotta and rolled in chocolate.. The Arab influence can be traced in the extensive use of marzipan. A well known Sicilian dessert is “frutta di martorana” an almond marzipan pastry colored and shaped to resemble a fruit. For the best ice cream called “Gelato” you should choose a popular gelateria rather than a restaurant or supermarket. What makes Sicilian ice cream so special is its base: a kind of cream developed from Spanish and Arab culinary practices. Produced from milk or almond milk and starch it is a smooth and light dessert.

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The Sicilian wines are magical creations with majestic and rich aromas. The cultivation of vine is spread all throughout Sicily, most farms with fertile vine orchards are at the lower slopes of the mount Etna. The majority of production is made on Marsala but some of the finest wines on the island come from the native varietals like Nova d'Avola, Nerello, Mascalese and Perricone. All these vine regions are just in the neighborhood of our holiday homes close to the foot of Etna.

Nero D'Avola is a classic Sicilian red characterized by intense ruby color and made from at least 80% of grapes. Produced in the eastern side of the island, it has a flavor of aromatic herbs.

Bianco d'Alcamo is a white and fruity dry wine. An excellent accompaniment to seafood dishes.

Marsala is an award winner superior wine with amber color and a rich perfume of citrus flowers and almonds. It is traditionally served between the first and second courses of the meal.

Etna Bianco and Rosso comes from the southern and eastern zone of Etna. These are dry vines with pleasant acidity, nice aromatic persistence with ripple apple and orange scent.

Regaleali one of the most famous wines in Sicily. It comes from the heart of the island and has delicate scent of dark berries. This wine is recommended with grilled and roasted meats.

Enjoy life and the great wines of Sicily in a 19th century villa at Carruba di Riposto.