Tipical Sicilian Products

The typical Sicilian products can be found in every area of the island, and they draw food and wine routes in a varied and suggestive agricultural landscape. For instance, the Simeto river valley, in particular the countryside around Motta, known as the "terre forti" (strong lands), is characterized by the production of an aged wine which is ideal to be combined with desserts. Another peculiar wine is the "pestimbotte", obtained without the aging of the must, with a straw yellow colour, to be consumpted in two years from the bottling date. In the area of Iblei Mountains, we can find red oranges and "tarocco" oranges, artichokes, savage vegetables. Here, every municipal town has got bakeries, using the local ricotta cheese to bake "cannoli" and other desserts and kinds of pasta.

Catania and the hinterland areas offer an excellent grillroom, specializing in the production of "arancini", "scacciate" and "crispelle". The Nebrodi area is influenced by the culinary tradition of mountains around Messina, as for the use of meat in general, expecially the castrato lamb. On the slope of Nebrodi mountains, as well as on the Etna slope, excellent varieties of mushrooms can be found. Bronte, homeland of the pistache, boasts some bakeries which created several recipes featuring this fruit as the main ingredient, such as a delicious spreading cream. In late Spring, Maletto becomes the kingdom of strawberries and offer a feast on the second Sunday of June.