Traditional Food in Sicily

One of the main attractions in Sicily is the food. Here are some of the top classic dishes to look out for on your trip.

Arancini are fried risotto balls that can be filled with a variety of sauces. You can pick them up as a quick snack as you wander around town, or have them as a starter for a main meal.

Pane con la milza is another typical street snack. It’s pork spleen served in a brioche-style bun, typically sold from stalls outside train stations and markets. These sandwiches have been part of the Sicilian street food culture for thousands of years.

Sicilian cuisine differs from one side of the island to the other. For example, Pasta alla Norma is a Catania specialty, from the east of the island, consisting of eggplant, tomato sauce and salted ricotta cheese. Over on the Palermo side, you will see Pasta con le Sarde on many menus, which is sardine, white fennel, pine kernels and sultanas.

Caponata is a typical Sicilian dish that is essentially a kind of warm salad that uses cooked eggplant as a base. There are lots of variations depending on which vegetables are in season, but eggplants are a constant.