Tag: Desserts

Pistachio, a delight for the palate to be enjoyed on your next trip to Sicily! Pistachio, Bronte's green gold, represents a great economic resource for Sicily. Much of the credit goes to the locals, who have been able to discover the real value of the kernels, enhancing their flavour and use. The Bronte Pistachio (“Pistacchio Verde di Bronte” PDO) is famous all over the world and manages to move a huge market with a capacity of 35/40 million euros per year. The producers from the town near Catania are about 5,000 and hold about one hectare of land each. Travel to Sicily with Italia Delight! Discover all the food and wine experiences A great economy, therefore, revolves around this small kernel with particular organoleptic properties, that cannot be found in other nuts of the same type around the world. The pistachio nut, in fact, has found its ideal microclimate in this corner of Sicily, giving the best of itself. The producers take care of the cultivation, harvesting and drying for the elimination of the husk. Once this phase is over, they sell the nuts to the transformation companies: these firms use the raw material to create pistachio-based products, which are highly requested especially in the confectionery industry. Let's discover the green gold of Bronte and its main characteristics. The Pistachio Plant The Bronte Pistachio plant is a variety called “Pistacia vera”. The nuts have been known since prehistoric times and have always found wide use. Although it has been cultivated for millennia throughout the Mediterranean basin, the word "pistachio" appears for the first time in the Old Testament. Subsequently, it has also been mentioned in the Book of Genesis. In local dialect, the plant is called "frastucara", while the kernel is called "frastuco". In fact, it seems that these terms

Sicilian cannoli what is it? History of cannoli and curiosity Sicilian cannoli are a very popular dessert in Italy and in the world, but cannoli what is it? Do we really know cannoli history? what is cannoli origins? Irene Di Liberto, writer, poet and ambassador of the Academy of Sicilian Language tells us more about the cannoli recipe and the history of the most famous Italy cannoli. The dessert was defined "Tubus farinarius, dulcissimo, edulio ex lacte factus" by Marcus Tullius Cicero when he was quaestor in Sicily, in present-day Marsala. The origin of Cannoli dates back to the times of Arab domination in Sicily (from 827 to 1091 A.D.). The Arabs brought many new things in all fields, not least in the culinary one. They were the first to work sheep milk ricotta, already produced by the Sicilians, with candied fruit, chocolate and cinnamon... Some legends tell that they were the women of Caltanissetta, guests of the Harem Kalt El Nissa, that is “Castle of the women”, who invented this famous dessert. The women of the emir, in order to pass the time, dedicated themselves to the preparation of delicious dishes and, during one of their many culinary experiments, they would invent Sicilian cannoli. When the Normans managed to free Sicily from the Arabs, the harems were emptied and many women who lived there converted to Christianity, retreated to convents and brought with them some ancient recipes. Most probably, one of the recipes that Muslim women handed down to their sisters was that of Sicilian cannoli. In reality, the name is linked to the river reeds, which were used until a few decades ago to roll them up when they were prepared. It is a dessert that expresses its Sicilian character in all aspects: in its strong colours and