If you are looking for a tasty destination for your holiday then you have to stop in Palermo. Here is where ancient Greeks, Arabs, Normans and Bourbons have overlapped during centuries, mixing their traditions and making the capital of Sicily a unique city to discover.
Palermo is famous not only for its artistic heritage, but also for its outstanding pastry that reminds of Middle Eastern flavors.
Those who love desserts more than anything else, should really take a look to these five delicatessen that can’t be missed.
1. A classic: The Sicilian “Cannolo”
The “cannolo” is the symbol of Sicilian pastry. There are several variants, but the original version has a fried dough wafer filled with sheep ricotta cheese and covered with pistachio grains.
It is probably an evolution of an Arab dessert made with ricotta cheese, almonds and honey. During the Arab domination in Sicily (827 AD – 1091 AD) the women who lived in the Emirs’ harem invented this dessert to amaze their kings. With the end of the Arab domination the harems disappeared, but the recipe of the “cannolo” was handed down from Muslim to Christian women.
All pastry shops sell “cannolo” in Palermo, but the fresh ones are filled on the spot in front of your eyes!
2. The “Minne di Vergine” or Saint Agatha’s tits
The shape of this dessert reminds of small tits made of sponge cake soaked in rosolio (a sweet liqueur) and stuffed with sheep’s ricotta cheese, chocolate drops and candied fruit. It is covered with white icing and finished with a candied cherry on top.
Originally this cake symbolized the breast of the roman goddess Demeter, who was the protector of the harvest. Later on, the dessert became the symbol of Saint Agatha. Young and virgin, Saint Agatha underwent through several tortures because of her Christian faith, including the amputation of one breast and for this reason the cake is also called “the tits of Saint Agatha”.
Their small size is perfect for a sweet break!
3. The “Trionfo di gola” (Triumph of gluttony)
It goes without saying that this is a concentrate of extreme sweetness that leads into temptation.
It is a very rich dessert made with layers of soft sponge cake and crunchy shortcrust pastry, covered with almond paste and decorated with pistachio and candied fruit grains. It is filled with pistachio jam and layers of custard, or with orange jam and ricotta cream.
The “Trionfo di Gola” is a complex dessert that takes a long time to make. This is why it is the symbol of the ancient Sicilian aristocracy, who loved sophisticated desserts on its tables.
4. The “Genovesi” (Genoese)
Genoa or Palermo? The name of this dessert could drive you crazy but don’t panic: it is a 100% made in Sicily specialty. This simple but tasty dessert is made of shortcrust pastry, filled with cream or ricotta cheese and baked in the oven. The name of these cakes has been inspired by the hat of the Genoese sailors, who used to disembark on the West coast of Sicily in the 15th century to trade with people in Trapani.
5. The Sicilian “Cassata”
Together with the “cannolo” this is another undisputed feature of Sicilian pastry. The “Cassata” was born under the Arab domination, when the chefs of the Emirs had the intuition to mix sheep’s ricotta with sugar and cook it in the oven. Over the centuries the dessert has evolved many times and in the ‘700s the Palermitan pastry chefs added a coating of sugar icing, chocolate flakes inside and candied fruit as decoration. The result is an explosion of sweetness that you can’t find anywhere else.
If you want to find all these specialities in one place, just go to the convent of Santa Caterina, in the heart of the city. Here the nuns prepare traditional Sicilian cakes by hand: a real corner of paradise for gluttons!
