Italy is renowned for its exceptional food but nowhere is this more true than in Sicily. Sicily is famous for its street food, a tradition that stretches as far back As the Ancient Greeks and Romans that once lived on the island. Certainly, a stay in one of our Sicily villa rentals wouldn’t be complete without experiencing this street food culture for yourself.
Enjoy our tasty guide to the best street foods to try on your Sicily villa holiday.
Le Panelle
Panelle are small patties made from finely ground chickpeas, which are then deep fried in hot oil before being dusted in salt. They are usually eaten in the morning sandwiched in a warm, sesame seed covered bread roll drizzled with lemon juice. If you’re looking for a more filling version, look for one topped with ricotta cheese! Originally a traditional food served up on Palermo’s streets on the Day of Santa Lucia, now you can luckily find it available all year round. It is thought that they owe their origins to the Arabs who dominated the Sicilian island between the 9th and 11th centuries.
Lo Sfincionello
Also eaten in the morning is sfincionello. Many make the mistake of comparing this traditional food to pizza but you shouldn’t! It consists of a dough base onto which is placed tomato sauce, salted sardines, onions, freshly grated caciocavallo and a healthy glug of olive oil! Again, its origins lie in Palermo, this time an 18th century invention of the nuns of the Convent of San Vito.
Crocche
A deep fried Sicilian street food that dates back to the 17th century and which is made with potatoes, eggs, herbs and cheese. The soft creamy filling is a delicious contrast with the crunchy exterior. It owes its origins to the French croquette.
Le Arancine
One of the more well-known street foods of Sicily, arancine are deep fried balls of rice, which are usually also flavoured with saffron, peas and meat sauce.
This dish was introduced to the island by the Saracens from North Africa and its small round form makes it the perfect dish to eat on the move! The name comes from the Italian word for orange – arancia – reflecting the similarity in colour and appearance to a small orange!
Our favourite is the Arancini alla Norma which originate from Catania. Perhaps not surprising given the ingredients echo those of our favourite Sicilian pasta dish – tomatoes, aubergines, basil and ricotta cheese.
Suppli
Suppli are very similar to arancine but cone shaped. Whilst you will find these treats on Sicilian street food stalls, they actually originate from Rome.
La milza
Pane con la milza (bread with spleen also referred to as Pani ca meusa) is a dish that dates back to the 2nd century when it was invented by Jews from Palermo. At that time, the law stated that those working in slaughterhouses could not be pad since killing (even of animals) was unlawful. So instead, the workers received payment in kind – they were given the entrails of the animals they slaughtered. With these they invented a new dish – a soft vastedda bread roll filled with sliced spleen, lungs and even pieces of trachea which have been fried in lard, accompanied with ricotta and caciocavallo cheese. In short, it was a poor man’s substitute for a roll filled with meat.
Caldume
Traditionally, this is veal tripe or cows entrails cooked in a warm broth with vegetables before being flavoured with salt. These days you’ll also find the cows tongue, feet, cheek and head also cooked and served up in this way.
Stigghiola
Yet again originating in Palermo, stigghiole are skewers of chicken, ovine or cows intestines wrapped around peppers and onions or leeks and then cooked on skewers over a BBQ before being served cut into smaller, bite sized pieces accompanied with lemon wedges.
This Sicilian speciality is sold by stigghiularu at fairs and markets.
Frittola
These are the leftover fatty pieces of veal meat which are fried with plenty of saffron, bay leaves salt and pepper and served hot. Sicily has historically been a poor island and this is cheap food! The dish is not dissimilar to frittuli which are found in Calabria on the Italian mainland but the Calabrians tend to use the fatty pieces of pigs instead.
Il Polpo Bollito
Il Polpo Bollito are slices of stewed octopus tentacles which are served up as street food in Sicily.
Babbaluci
These are small, cream coloured snails most commonly found in the fields around Palermo and Trapani. They are usually prepared by soaking in cold water for 24 hours before being boiled in salt water. They are then seasoned with fried garlic and flavoured either with parsley or a simple tomato sauce and toothpicks are used to remove them from their shells for eating! They are most popular during the Feast of Saint Rosalie, Palermo’s patron saint.
Polpette di Cavallo
A Sicilian take on a traditional meatball, that is most commonly seen in Catania, Polpette di cavallo uses ground horse meat rather than veal or beef. This is mixed with eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, lemon zest and seasoning before being shaped into balls about the size of clementine. These can be cooked in a number of ways – inside lemon leaves, baked, over the hob in a sauce (which is our favourite) or fried.
Cucuzza
A kind of pumpkin, squash or courgette, cucazza are boiled and then cooled before serving with salt.
Scaccia
An absolutely delicious savoury treat that originates in Ragusa in Sicily. Probably best described as a mix between a lasagna and a calzone pizza, it’s basically a strudel shaped dough filled with sauce and cheese. This is then sliced and served in pieces revealing the delicious filling inside!
Zuzzu
Best described as pieces of a pigs head covered in gelatine originating in the Eastern part of Sicily. It’s not often found these days and if you do see it, it’s most commonly around Christmas time. To prepare it, parts of the pig (anything from its tongue to its ears, tail and feet) are boiled in water for a number of hours. Any bones are then removed from the meat and the broth is left to simmer even longer before being poured over the meat and flavoured with peppercorns and cloves. The addition of gelatine means it sets to a jelly-like consistency.
Cartocciata
Another of the Sicilian street foods originating in Catania and more specifically from the area around Mount Etna, Cartocciata is best described as looking like a folded calzone pizza. It is made of dough which is stuffed with a range of ingredients. The most common type is filled with tomatoes and mozzarella but you can also find fillings that include ham, mushrooms, eggs, aubergine, sausages and more.
If we’ve whetted your appetite enough to want to head to Sicily to try some of these delicacies for yourself, then check out the Sicily villa rentals available from Italy villa rental specialists, Bookings For You.