The Sicilian pastry&where to find it
Some words about Sicilian pastry
The Sicilian pastry has a central role in the cuisine of the island. Each sweet is dedicated to a festivity, is symbol of a celebration or a season of the year. The Sicilian sweets have a strong character, resulting from syncretism between the different populations that have alternated in the domain of this land.
The first cakes come from agriculture and farming: milk, honey, wheat were blended to celebrate Mother Earth and then the Greek gods. The Greeks also introduced the almond, very important in the Sicilian pastry. It was in the Roman period that probably “the cassata” originated , symbol of the rebirth of spring, hat with Catholicism will become the Easter cake par excellence. With the Byzantines and later with the two centuries of Arab domination, new flavors and essences were introduced offering the spicy and interesting flavours, typical of the Sicilian pastry . The Spanish influence was fundamental with its baroquisms and the introduction of new ingredients such as chocolate. Important also the nobility given by the French Monsù.
The Sicilian pastry was refinished within the monasteries by the cloistered nuns, devoted to the salvation of the soul, but also to the exaltation of the pleasures of the palate. The nuns created and sold their desserts for every religious holiday. including the “Martorana fruit” that takes its name from a monastery. Between the late 800’s and early 900’s the “secular” craft of the pastry chef begins. It is in 900’s that a pastry chef of Palermo gives the name “Iris” to a monastery sweet in honor of the opening of Mascagni’s grand opera.
The history of the Sicilian pastry is also binded to the origin of ice cream, from the first sorbets created from snow of Etna, to the famous granita, pride of Sicilian ice cream.
To mention all the Sicilian sweets we need a very long list: simple, complex, pompous, monumental, harmonious, no half measures, represent the complex character, fatalistic, with strong contrasts and intense passions, typical of Sicily. While in the past these cakes were bought only on holidays or Sundays they now represent a real daily temptation for those who have the pleasure of admiring the famous Sicilian bakeries.
written by our Evelin Costa
Syracuse and province
Caffè al Ciclope – Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, 3, Pacchino
www.caffealciclope.it
Gelateria da Carletto – via R.Elena, 10, Marzamemi,
via F.Turati, 135, Pacchino
www.dacarletto.com
Caltanissetta
M. Geraci 1870 – via Canonico Pulci 10/14, Caltanissetta
www.geraci1870.it
Messina
Pasticceria Camarda dal 1952 – via del Fante 100/B
www.pasticceriacamarda.it
Modica
Antica dolceria Bonajuto dal 1880 ( I highly recommend) – C.so Umberto I,159, Modica
www.bonajuto.it
Pasticceria Chantily ( I highly recommend)- C.so Umberto I, 76, Modica
Casalindolci – C.so Vitt. Emanuele 2/a, Modica
www.casalindolci.it
Agrigento
Di Stefano – via Murano, 25, Raffadali
www.distefanodolciaria.it
Castelbuono (Palermo)
Fiasconaro bakery – trademark – fantastic people, service and I’m sure that you will love in their product like me! P.zza Margherita. 10
90013 Castelbuono (PA) www.fiasconaro.com
Palermo
Pasticceria Capello ( FANTASTIC BAR)- via Colonna Rotta,68,Palermo
www.pasticceriacapello.it
Pasticceria Alba – Piazza don Bosco, 7 ,Palermo
www.pasticceriaalba.it
Pasticceria Palazzolo – via Nazionale, 123, Cinisi
www.pasticceriapalazzolo.it
