Ah, Sicilian food! If you love Italian food you will surely love the food of Sicily. Sicily’s cuisine reflects the cultural influences that its long and diverse history has brought. Conquered by the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, Angevins, Hapsburgs, and Bourbons, Sicilian food has risen from the intermingling of cultures.

The Greeks brought olives and grapes to the island and thus wine making was introduced. The Romans brought fava beans, chick peas, and lentils. They also introduced grain production which encouraged the introduction of pasta to Sicilian cuisine.

The Arabs can be favored for bringing almonds, aniseed, artichokes, cinnamon, oranges, pomegranates, saffron, sesame and rice, as well as sugarcane, watermelon and spinach. They are also noted for their influence in creating sweet and sour combinations of dishes that are common. The Arabs also started the tradition of Sicilian sweets which includes ice cream and granite (made with snow from Mount Etna), marzipan and candied fruits.

The French contributed their eloquent chefs, which were brought in to serve the aristocracy. The Normans and Hosenstaufen brought in new cooking methods, such as the rotisserie cooking of meats and the air salting of fish. The Spanish also brought their own touches to add to the flavorful cuisine of Sicily and the New World provided chili and sweet peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and maize.

Along with all of that, the island of Sicily itself brings its own fresh ingredients to the table. Mount Etna’s volcanic eruptions have fertilized the soil to incomparable richness allowing a multitude of crops to grown here. Add the varied climate with subtropical regions, and Sicily offers superior crops of fruits and vegetables. Even further, being an island there is a plethora of fresh ingredients wrought from the sea: sardines, tuna, swordfish and other varieties of fish.

Sicilian food is simply prepared owing to the superior taste, quality and freshness of its ingredients. Sicilians believe that complex dishes would mask the fresh flavors so simplicity is the prevalent attitude in the food of Sicily.

Sicilian restaurants all over the island provide local culinary specialties and traditional Italian fare that is produced within a few miles of where you are sitting. You will get the freshest fish along the coast, and the best of the meats and cheeses from the interior combined with the huge range of fruits and vegetables from all over the island. The Sicilian restaurants then top this off with their rich desserts and pastries that they are famous for.

The Sicilians are also famous for their long leisurely meals, creating an atmosphere of relaxed indulgence. Their lunches begin at one o’clock and go on until three or four. Then dinner begins at about eight and can last for hours. Lingering is encouraged in Sicilian restaurants.

A Sicilian meal begins with an antipasti dish which may include rice balls (arancine), potato croquettes, aubergine (eggplant), caponata (salad with olives and capers) or any number of other tidbits. Then the ‘primo’ is served, which is usually a pasta or rice dish, or possibly couscous. Then you get the ‘secondo’ which is the main course served with wine and a side dish. After that fruit is typically served, followed by coffee. Then comes dessert and a liqueur or Sicilian Wine. Sicilian dining can truly be one of a tourist’s greatest pleasures. Famous for many things, such as their cheeses, cappuccino, grappa, and granita, among many other things, Sicilian food is not to be missed!

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