Travel experience shared by Natalie Hoerner,
Vienna/Austria Email: travelagent@austromail.at
The island of Sicily is an enchanting but mysterious place. Blessed
by the gods with sun, fertile land, abundant fish, it is also torn by the
darker side of nature; earthquakes, volcanoes, drought. Its allure has
attracted all the Mediterranean peoples, the Greek who left their spectacular
monuments, the Romans who made it their granary, the Arabs and Saracens with
their culture and food, the Normans who found and gave new life. Perhaps the
most representative dish of Sicily is its pasta, the quality of its wheat
making a very special one. The pasta is served with plentiful sauce,
especially made with vegetables, mainly aubergines, broccoli, and onions, but
also with fresh ricotta and bread crumbs, but as Sicily is an island, there
is also fish and the Arab tradition of making delicious desserts based on
candied fruit and almond paste, pistachio nuts and fresh ricotta, liquid
honey and rare fruits.
Sicily consists of three culinary regions:
1) Val di Mazara (including Mazara, Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento) - west of
Palermo and Agrigento, where since Cartago had the power - you will find
African and Arab influnces (that4s why you find cuscus here).
2) Val di Noto (Siracusa, Ragusa part of Caltanissetta), the Southern part;
here you will detect the influence of the Spanish
3) Catania’s Val Demone (Messina, Catania, Enna): in the East you will
realize the Byzantine influence.
In all three regions you have to understand that there is a difference
between
the "cuisine - imperial way", the "cuisine of the noble
society" of the landowners
and the "homecook way of cooking" of the fishermen and farmers.
Palermo "Cucina Populare":
In Palermo, the capital of the island, you should visit the famous Vucciria
market (in the historical center of the town), where you will find
"lumache del Festino di Santa Rosalia" also called
"babbaluce"(snails), which are served in a terracotta basket with
garlic, oil and salt. You will also find people selling
"stigghiole" at the piazza out in the open (roasted on antique
stoves).
At the restaurant Gourmand’s, viale della Libert` 37/E (tel 091/32.34.31,
closed on Sundays), I suggest you try the "pesce spada", then a
pasta "fettucine alla Nelson", then you might like tuna fish
"margherite alla bottarga di tonno" and also the wonderful
entrectte "Conca d’Oro". Ask the owner Rosario Guddo for
recommendations that meet your taste. Try out the "Cuicina della Belle
hpoque palermitano" at the restaurant Scuderia, viale del Fante 9 tel 091/52 03 23 (closed on Sundays). I
also recommend you to go to the well-known restaurant Charleston (tel.:
091/321366), where you will be served by one of the best mantre of Italy:
Carletto Hassan. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and from June to
September, because in summer you will find the Chef cooking at the seaside of
Mondello, at the Charleston le Terrazze (tel.: 091/450171). Here you will
find a combination of the homecook cuisine and the meals that the baroque nobles, the Monzy prefered. Try
the seafood antipasti, and then the classic "barchetta di malanzana con
anelletti palermitani" alla Norma catanese (one of the few meals that
are common in the occidental Sicilian cuisine and the oriental Sicilian
cuisine). If it is on the menue I strongly recommend to order also the
delicious "pasta con le sarde allo zafferano" (pasta with fish and
saffron). At the end of your meal you might like to order a cassata. (The
cassata has celebrated the first Millenium since its invention at Palermo).
You could also visit Porticello (Santa Flavia) another place at the
seaside. There you could dine at the
restaurant Muciara-Nello el Greco, via Roma 105 (tel.: 091/95.78.68). It4s
closed on Mondays. Ask the Chef, Fabio (brother of the owner) to start with
roasted scampi and potatoes, then frutti di mare, then a filet of St. Peter4s
fish al Marsala Vergine Soleras. If you prefer homecook cuisine and a
wonderful seaview I suggest the Antica Trattoria dell4Arco di Franco 4u
Piscaturi (tel 091/95.77.58, closed on Mondays). There the great Franco
Crivello will serve you the freshest fish.
Wines and liqueurs:
The better known wines are the sweet ones like Marsala, Malvasia from the
Eolian islands, Moscato from Siracusa and Passito from Pantelleria, but it
also has strong elegant white wines from Etna and rich reds like Faro from
Messina.
1) Casa Vincola S. Noto, Via Partanna 15, Trapani, tel e fax 0923/24232
2) Carlo Pellegrino & C.S.p.A., Via del Fante 39 - Marsala (TP), tel.
0923/951177 fax: 0923/982380
3) Cantine Florio, Via V. Florio 1 - Marsala (TP), tel 0923/781111, fax:
0923/982380
4) Azienda Agricola "Vecchio Samperi", C. da Fornara Samperi 292
- Marsala
(TP) tel.: 0923/962093 fax 0923/962910
5)Eno-Museum der Familie Montalto, C. da Berbaro 388, SS115 nach Mazara,
Marsala (TP), tel.: 0923/969667 fax: 0923/960333
6) Alvis S.p.A., Via Florio 2 - Marsala (TP), tel. 0923/721633, fax:
0923/721635
7) Donnafugata, Via S. Lipari 18 - Marsala (TP), tel. 0923/999555
We stayed in a beautiful place called Scopello (Sicily) in September 2000. It
is situated by the Sicilian sea, where the clear and scented waters with sea
beds full of plant life and ravines are a paradise for swimmers and other
watersports.
