Most of us, after hearing the name of the delightful Italian island of Sicily, immediately remember two things: the film-trilogy The Godfather, and the phrase Cosa Nostra( translated from Italian as "our business").In most cases, we come across the prevalent stereotypes that directors use when creating successful tapes. After all, the plot will become much more interesting if the languid, handsome hero will throughout the whole film save himself and protect the equally delightfully languid beauty from the encroachments of the Sicilian mafia.
But Sicily can be viewed from a different point of view. This is a magnificent corner of Italy, which has rich cultural traditions, and an equally interesting and rich cuisine, based on ancient recipes of local dishes that are part of a vast Mediterranean culinary tradition.
History of Sicilian cuisine
Local culinary tradition was formed under the influence of the climate and the special conditions of the region itself. Local winter is not characterized by low temperatures and lasts not for long, and summer is not only very hot, but also long. This climate is ideal for cultivating olive and fruit trees, and it allows you to use fresh fruits and vegetables in cooking throughout the year.
Sicilian cuisine evolved under the influence of Greeks, Spaniards, Arabs and representatives of other Italian regions. The first mariners who came to the island were the Greeks, who brought here wine, olives and a way of making them olive oil.
Following the Greeks, the island was visited by the Romans, who taught the local population to cultivate wheat and make flour. It is thanks to them that local cuisine is unthinkable without wheat bread sprinkled with sesame seeds.
It is generally believed that the appearance of the Sicilian Ricotta cheese is the local cuisine for the Hellenes. A Sicilian dish - pasta with bread crumbs appeared due to the habit of the ancient inhabitants of the island to pick up bread crumbs and for the satiety to add them to cooked food. With the arrival of Arabs in the local cuisine appeared citrus and apricots. And today in local recipes you can find dishes with Arab roots, for example, rice with saffron and raisins. Thanks to the Arabs, the fertile lands of the island were planted with palm trees, sugar cane, fruit and melons.
The best dishes of Sicilian cuisine
Let's get acquainted with the most famous dishes of Sicilian cuisine, favorite local people and guests of the island. The first place is invariably occupied by pasta, which any Italian considers the best dish. Usually it is not only served with the appropriate sauce( tomato, cream, cheese, etc.), but also supplemented with poultry, animal meat, fish and other seafood.
Sicilian cuisine is impossible without fish and seafood. Among the delicacies the most popular here are red mullet, swordfish, tuna and sardines. Among the popular local dishes include Polpe''te( small pies with meat), Skalppi'ne( veal schnitzel with Marsala wine), Kotole'té( schnitzel fried in Parmesan).
As well-known all over the world and Sicilian sweets: fruit cake Kasatta, tubules with melting cheese Canno'li and ice cream Granito. One of the famous desserts of both Sicilian and Italian cuisine is Jela'to ice cream, which is a mixture of fruits, almonds, pistachios or mulberry.
Sweetmongers all over the world adore local sweets with nougat filling or with whole nuts( almonds or hazelnuts).Another delicacy of Sicilian cuisine is Frutta di martorana - miniature fruit made from almond paste( grapes, lemons, oranges, etc.).