The best of Sicilian street food

Gastronomes all over the world know that Sicily is a reference point for those who love street food. There is no region in Italy that is so rich in proposals for eating ‘on the road’. Strolling through the streets of Sicilian towns and villages, it is virtually impossible to resist these delicious delicacies that seem to compete in an explosion of taste. Inexpensive and available at all hours (from dawn to late at night), they combine old-fashioned flavours and new combinations, always starting with the raw material, the choice of which is never left to chance.

What are the specialities of Sicilian street food? We have selected seven that make your mouth water just talking about them.

Arancine (or arancini)

Arancine or arancini? This is the dilemma! In western Sicily, the feminine declension is preferred, while in the east, it is the masculine that has the upper hand. Leaving aside the gender controversy, this Sicilian fried delicacy is one of the island’s most famous dishes. For those who don’t know them (is there anyone who really doesn’t know what they are?), they are small, crispy-breaded rice timbales usually filled with meat sauce, peas and caciocavallo cheese. But of which there are many variations (stuffed with cooked ham and mozzarella, with pistachio from Bronte, with the typical sauce ‘alla norma’, etc.). The name derives from its typical shape and colour, reminiscent of an orange, although in eastern Sicily it almost always has a more pointed shape, perhaps inspired by the silhouette of Mount Etna. As for its origins, it seems to date back to the period of Arab domination, between the 9th and 11th centuries.

Bread and panelle

Bread and panelle is another Sicilian street food classic (especially typical of the city of Palermo). Panelle are tasty pancakes made of chickpea flour, usually flavoured with parsley and enriched with a squeeze of lemon, which are served inside a soft bun, called mafalda, whose surface is covered with sesame seeds. The history of this dish also goes back to the Arabs, who ruled Sicily between the 9th and 11th centuries. It was they, in fact, who experimented with grinding chickpea seeds to obtain a flour that, mixed with water and cooked, gave rise to a paste similar to polenta. It was then the panellari (i.e. panelle sellers) who refined the recipe by adding salt, pepper and of course frying.

Pani câ mèusa

The pani câ mèusa is something that the simple tourist or foodie adventurer simply cannot do without. It consists of a soft, warm bread roll (usually a round vastedda or sometimes a Sicilian mafaldina or mezza mafalda) stuffed with very thin layers of spleen, lung and even calf’s trachea, first boiled or steamed and then fried in sugna, or lard. When covered with grated caciocavallo or ricotta cheese, it is called maritatu, i.e. ‘married’ with the other ingredients. Legend has it that its origin dates back to the Middle Ages, when Palermo’s Jews who worked as butchers, since they could not earn money from slaughtering animals (these were Jewish religious dictates), kept the innards as a reward, which they then sold as a filling along with bread and cheese.

Pani cunzatu

Pani cunzatu, which means nothing other than ‘seasoned bread’, is a crispy loaf (still warm or freshly baked) traditionally stuffed with anchovies in oil, tomatoes, Sicilian first salt, oregano and extra virgin olive oil. Widespread (in several versions) throughout the island, from Trapani to the Aeolian Islands, it is a poor man’s dish and was the main dish of peasant families who, not being able to afford pasta, meat or fish, prepared the bread in the home oven and garnished it as they could. For this reason, it was also called ‘bread of misfortune’ in the past. Although it is a simple dish, its delicious flavours best represent the essence of Sicilian cuisine.

Stigghiola

Another Sicilian street food speciality is the stigghiola, the one that locals and tourists recognise by the smoke caused by the so-called stigghiularu (i.e. the gentleman who runs the griddle). The basic ingredients are two: spring onions and guts (usually lamb, but there are also veal guts), which are washed in water and salt and rolled around the spring onion and then cooked on the grill. Once ready, they are cut into pieces and seasoned with salt and lemon. The name derives from the Latin phrase ‘extiliola’ which, literally translated, takes on the meaning of intestine. Despite the Latin name, the dish dates back to the time when Sicily was under Greek rule.

Quarume

Quarume, or caldume (meaning ‘hot dish’), is a real delicacy. It is prepared with the entrails of the calf (omaso, abomasum, reticulum and rumen, in dialect ventra, matruzza, centopelle and ziniere), which, after being thoroughly washed, are boiled in a large pot (called quarara) with carrots, onions, celery, parsley and tomato. It is eaten hot served with the cooking broth or dry with salt, pepper and oil. The term derives from the Greek word ‘cholàdes’ which means gut and has very ancient origins. In the past it was used for weaning babies because the calf entrails of which it is made are rich in nutrients.

Sfincione

Finally, it is impossible to forget sfincione (also known as sfinciuni or spinciuni), the famous ‘pizza-bread’, which takes on the appearance of a sponge thanks to its rising. The name is in fact derived from the Latin ‘spongia’ and the Greek ‘spòngos’, meaning sponge. A filling made with tomato sauce, anchovies, oregano, caciocavallo cheese and onions is spread on top. But, as is often the case with traditional recipes, there are several versions, including one prepared in Bagheria, which calls for the addition of tuma (or fresh ricotta cheese) and breadcrumbs instead of tomato sauce. It is said to have been created by the nuns of the Monastery of San Vito in Palermo in the 18th century.

Photo gallery © (1) Wikipedia – Dedda71 | (2) Wikipedia – Popo le Chien | (3) Rino Porrovecchio – Flickr