Biancolilla are medium-sized , oval-shaped olives grown largely in southwestern Sicily that have an oil content of 15 to 18% and yield a good quality, fragrant oil. The tree needs another type of olive tree to pollinate well. Harvesting starts in early October, goes to mid-November. History Notes Native to Sicily, Italy.
Sicilian Food
Bottarga
Bottarga is fish eggs or roe from Tuna or Grey Mullet. It is made in Sicily and Sardinia. The roe sack is extracted from the fish, salted, then let stand for a few weeks, during which time it is pressed by hand both to flatten it and to remove any air pockets. Then it is…
Cabbasisata
Cabbasisata is a non-alcoholic Sicilian drink made from tiger nuts. The tigernuts are soaked over night in water, then ground with the soaking water, to make a drink. The tiger nuts would have been boiled first to cook them, and would have been then dried and stored to have on hand. Cabbasisata is not encountered…
Caciocavallo Cheese
Caciocavallo Cheese is shaped like a small gourd, pear or flask, usually with a definite small ball on top, forming a defined neck between it and the larger body. The process of making it is similar to that for Mozzarella. To make it, unpasteurized cow’s milk is heated to 97 to 100 F (36 to…
Carolea Olives
Carolea Olives are medium to large-sized olives grown both for oil and table olives. It has an oil content of 20 to 25%; the oil is considered good quality. The olives can be mechanically harvested when they are being used for oil. When used for table olives, the olives are available either brine-cured or dry-cured….
Casarecci
Casarecci © Denzil Green Casarecci is a pasta made in Sicilia and Puglia. It is narrow, thin, twisted and rolled tubes about 2 inches (5 cm) long, made from semolina. Casarecci holds sauces such as meat sauces very well. It can be used for baked pasta. Language Notes Aka: Cesariccia or Casarecce. Casarecci means “home…
Casareccia Pasta
Casareccia Pasta is a Sicilian twisted tube-shaped pasta. From the end, it looks like an “S.” Its shape catches and holds sauce very well. This helps to make it a particularly good pasta for baking, as there is less chance of it being dry. Most Casareccia Pasta is about 2 inches (5 cm) long. The…
Cassata
Cassata is a sort of a Sicilian version of trifle. It is a moulded cake, usually rounded because it is formed in a bowl, but it can also be made in a rectangular pan, or in a springform pan (though granted this is a modern innovation.) To make Cassata, you layer the sides of the…
Cassata Gelata
Cassata Gelata is often referred to as ice cream. Though it is a frozen desert, referring to Cassata Gelata as ice cream is misleading. Rather, you make a cream mixture from whipped cream, egg yolk, sugar, lemon rind, milk, and cook gently on the stove. You then freeze it for a while, stir in candied…
Cassatelle di Ricotta
Cassatelle di Ricotta is a Sicilian dessert made for Easter. There are at least five variations: A cake pan is lined with a sweet-crust pastry dough, then filled with crumbled sponge cake, A filling made of ricotta, sugar, candied fruit, vanilla and grated chocolate is spooned over it, then it is topped with a top…
Cerasuola Olives
A Sicilian olive grown primarily in the area between Sciacca and Paceco, Sicily, for oil. Its oil is usually blended with that from Nocellara and Biancolilla olives.
Delizia Tomatoes
Delizia Tomatoes have ridges in them, making their shape reminiscent of small pumpkins. They are best eaten when still a bit green — when they are red at the base, fading to green about half-way up the sides, with some red in the ridges, and the flesh inside is green. The taste is sweet. The…
Gnucchitieddi
“Gnucchitieddi” is a word used in the Trapani area of Sicily for gnocchi. They are served with tomato or meat sauce, and pecorino cheese.
Granita
Granita is a Sicilian, dairy-free frozen dessert with ice granules in it. It is compared to a grainy gelato or sorbet. Your tongue should be able to feel the ice crystals in it. On hot summer mornings, some Sicilians will have it for breakfast, served in a glass along with a spoon to eat it,…
Italian Sodas
To make Italian Sodas, you need plain fizzy water, though some people use Soda Water (aka Club Soda, the kind with bicarbonate of soda in it) and either don’t notice any appreciable taste impact, or like it. For the flavouring, you can buy the syrups at coffee shops, specialty food stores or Italian delis. Well-known…
Nocellara del Belice Olives
Nocellara del Belice Olives are large, plump olives that make both good table olives and good olive oil. When being used for oil, the olives are harvested early to get a light, fruity oil. For table olives, they are harvested when they reach a brownish-green. The tree is a good producer, but needs another pollinator….
Nocellara Messinese Olives
Nocellara Messinese Olives are grown in the north-east of Sicily, and in Calabria. The olives are ovoid-shaped, and weigh about 5 to 6g each. They have an oil content of around 26%, and used to make table oil. The olives ripen mid-September to mid-October. The tree can pollinate Carolea and Moresca olive trees. Some sources…
Ogliarola Barese Olives
Ogliarola Barese Olives are grown in Basilicata, Campania, Puglia and Sicily for their high oil yield. The tree is cold hardy, but needs another type of olive tree to pollinate it.
Ogliarola Messinese Olives
Ogliarola Messinese is grown throughout Sicily for oil production. Like all Ogliarola cultivars, the olive has a high oil yield. The tree can pollinate itself. Language Notes Occasionally called “Passalunara” but that is actually another olive.
Passalunara Olives
Passalunara Olives are grown for both table olives and olive oil. Though the olive is only mid-range in terms of the quantity of oil it yields, the trees produce a lot of olives to make up for it. The Passalunara tree needs another olive tree to pollinate it. Grown in Palermo in Sicily, Italy.
Pecorino Siciliano Cheese
Pecorino Siciliano is made from sheep’s milk, as are all Pecorino cheeses. The unpasteurized milk is curdled with lamb’s Rennet, moulded and salted. The cheese is allowed to age for a minimum of 4 months. It’s made in Sicily. Cooking Tips Parmesan, Asiago, Grana Padano or any Pecorino Cheese. History Notes Some makers (certainly at…
Pidiccuddara Olives
Pidiccuddara Olives are a Sicilian olive tree cultivar. We don’t have any more information at this time.
Sciala Cori
Sciala Cori is a cold, sweet, non-alcoholic Sicilian drink that is not made much anymore. It used used to be sold by men from carts in village squares. You’d bring your own glass from home to the cart. The vendor would have a block of ice, from which he’d make shavings to put in your…
Sicilian Food
Sicily is known for its simple cooking and good street food. Some say the national dish is pasta with sardines (“Pasta con le Sarde.”) It is also known for its desserts, particularly its frozen desserts, made possible earlier than in most of the rest of Europe by the Arab introduction of sugar cane rather than…