Cucina 101

Sicily... History, Colors and Folklore

by Chef Walter Potenza

Cultures express themselves through food among other things, and to truly discover a region is to sample its cooking. It certainly applies to Sicily, the land of contrasts and colors with a cooking repertoire of rich intensity and history deeply rooted in remote époques.

Separated from the continent by the Messina strait and characterized by its unmistakable triangular shape, it is the largest of the Italian islands. The configuration variety of its territory offers a landscape of proud mountains that occupy one fourth of the region's surface, with alternating velvety hills and seldom plains.

The most elevated peak of the island is the Etna volcano, still active just like those of the nearby islands of Vulcano and Stromboli. The island was initially occupied by Greek settlers followed by Phoenicians and Punic settlements in the north-east. But it was the arrival of the Arabs (June 14 of the year 827 in Mazara del Vallo), that inaugurated a new and particularly flourishing season for Sicily under every aspects.

The island assumed the Arab epicenter for commercial role in the Mediterranean basin. Palermo, headquarter of the emirate, became one of the most important city in the Muslim world, distinguishing itself for its luxury and the richness of its palaces.During the Arabic permanence, new and effective irrigation systems were designed and implemented, and masterfully applied across the territories. New cultivations were introduced such as bitter oranges, sugar cane, cotton and almonds, and, of course the evidence of Arab influence in the fields of the arts, architecture, costumes and gastronomy.

The latter revealed evident traces of Middle Eastern flavors of elaborate and colorful preparations, such as "cassata and the marzipan", also called regal paste or almond paste. A masterpiece of the Sicilian dessert culture, celebrated all over the world, a triumph for the eyes and the palate, cassata achieved its name from the Arab term "quas'at" (casserole), in reference to the round mold utilized for its preparation. Marzipan (mauthaban, arrived in the island after the Arana domination and became the sweet paste popularized by the nuns of the Martorana convent not far from Palermo. They shaped the noble paste into delectable sweets of various forms and colors reminiscing of different local fruits.

The Arabs also introduced the term "sharbet", which identified a cold technical preparation of fruits and ice of probable Chinese derivation. The unusual method departed the island, reached the Italian peninsula and artfully became the popular sherber which later developed and enriched into gelato. In addition to sweets, the Arabs introduced savory dishes of notable character such as couscous, a starchy dish of Tunisian derivation, perennially present in the area of western Sicily near Trapani made by rubbing semolina flour, with dripping of salted water on the mix.

Today, the procedure is referred as "incocciare" meaning blending and gathering the mixture in special terracotta pot called "mafaradda". Particles of rough semola and water of irregular sizes smaller than peas are then steamed in a special cooking pan called "couscoussiere". At the end of the cooking process the mixture is poured into a broth made with rich fish bones from the Mediterranean basin's rocky shores. The Sicilian version of couscous is always seafood based, whereas the Tunisian version mostly includes mutton or sheep's sausage. The dish is also delicious in the sweet version, made with chopped pistachios, cinnamon, candied fruit, almonds and sugar. Near the city of Agrigento, the nuns from the Holy Spirit Monastery still prepare this recipe in strict respect for the Maghreb Tunisian traditions.

Among the cultivations introduced by the Arabs we cannot neglect the eggplant, a staple vegetable in the Sicilian table, prepared in the typical layered timballo or in the caponata salad method with pine nuts. Peaches, apricots, asparagus, and artichokes among fruits and vegetables, paired with aromatic spices such ginger, cloves, cinnamon, saffron and carob. From the Aragon's heritage Sicily discovered escabeche, (a form of fried fish and vegetables marinated in vinegar), and the well known empanada, a form of savory torte filled with vegetables and meats. The prolific succession of different dominations and the numerous habits and traditions embedded in different cultures, have left evident traces in the gastronomy of Sicily, a land historically receptive to novelties.

When the Spanish brought the tomato into Europe, the Sicilians were the first to cultivate it for alimentary usage, quickly followed by the Neapolitans with the tomato cutting process used as condiment for pasta, therefore creating the fundamentals of Mediterranean cookery. Forever a destination for travelers and vacationers, Sicily combines the richness of archeological and artistic patrimony, to the variety and beauty of its landscape and immense sea coroneted by suggestive local folklore. Lately the region has been appreciated by the rediscovery of its culinary traditions. All of this has contributed in forming a renewed and dynamic image of the island.

Wines such as Nero D'Avola, Moscato di Pantelleria, Salaparuta and others have gathered International interest, shared with Cerasuola, Moresca and Nocellara del Belice olive varietals, recently awarded gold medal winners in the World Cup competition in Gradara. Historically not very popular with cheeses, recently, the island received two consecutive DOP testimony for aged cheeses made with goat and sheep's milk. Because of its warm climate, Sicily has endured difficulties in the conservation of charcuterie. In-fact salamis or prosciutti are not produced commercially in the area. However the conservation of seafood products is perhaps one of world leading business with tuna filets in oil, baby octopus, and sea urchin. The land of "Trinacria" continues its legacy of importing cultures while redefining its richness.