Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Land of Timeless Culinary Traditions
Sicily's kitchen is packed with fresh ingredients, unexpected flavours and delectable com-
binations. The island's rich pantry has evolved over a long period, shaped by successive
waves of invaders but always finding its roots in Sicily's abundant soil and surrounding
waters. Over the centuries, many traditional recipes have taken hold, surviving to the
present day. Fish and shellfish from the Mediterranean form one of the lasting foundations
of the island's cuisine. The abundance of fruit and vegetables has also been evident since
the times of the ancient Greeks - Homer famously said of the island, 'Here luxuriant trees
are always in their prime, pomegranates and pears, and apples glowing red, succulent figs
and olives swelling sleek and dark', and wrote about wild fennel and caper bushes growing
on the hills. But it wasn't until the Arabs came to the island that the cuisine really took
shape. The Saracens brought the ever-present aubergine (eggplant), as well as citrus fruits,
and they are believed to have introduced pasta to the island. They also spiced things up
with saffron and sultanas, and contrasted the dishes' delicate flavours with the crunch of al-
monds and pistachios. In fact, the Arabs were so influential that couscous is present on
every menu in western Sicily. And, on top of this, the Saracens brought sugar cane to these
shores, helping Sicily develop all those fantastic sweets.
What's really impressive about Sicily's cuisine is that most of these amazing tastes came
out of poverty and deprivation. The extravagant recipes of the
monsù
(chefs; from the
French
monsieur le chef
) employed by the island's aristocrats were adapted to fit the
budget and means of the less fortunate. Ordinary Sicilians applied the principle of pre-
serving the freshness of the ingredients and, most importantly, never letting one taste over-
power another. And that's the crunch of it, so to speak, the key to all of Sicily's dishes: sim-
plicity.
