SICILIAN STREET FOOD LIKE NO OTHER!!!!

 ARANCINI - DON'T GO TO SICILY WITHOUT DISCOVERING THIS DELICACY!

One of the many delights of my trip to Sicily two years ago was the sampling of its local delicacies. On a visit to Catania city centre we we visited a street side cafe recommended to us by our hotelier to sample the local dish called Arancini di Riso Siciliana (Sicilian Rice Balls) and my goodness what a treat this turned out to be!!

SICILIAN ARANCINI

Arancini is one of Sicily's best known street foods and though it's now eaten throughout Italy and round the world, its Sicily where it's thought to have originated. So important is it to Sicilian society - they have a festival dedicated to it every December 13th when tradition prevents the eating of bread and pasta in favour of this wonderful dish. 

In the cafe in Catania the rice balls are cone shaped and not surprisingly this is an influence picked up from the shape of the city's backdrop volcano - Mount Etna. In other parts of the island the arancini are more rounded in shape - the word arancini in fact is derived from the Sicilian word "aranciu" which means orange. After cooking the round shaped arancini look a bit like oranges!!

Essentially all arancini consist of a deep-fried breaded coating containing spiced rice and at the centre a soft flavoursome filling which most commonly consists of a slow cooked ragu sauce of mince flavoured with tomato sauce and seasonings. As I type this description now - my mouth is watering at the memory of first tasting this splended delicacy. 

MMMM - THE SPICED RICE FILLING
INSIDE THE BREADED COATING

The origins of arancini are shrouded in mystery but many believe they were first made in the Sicilian middle ages - probably the 10th century in fact when Sicily was under Arabic rule. It's the arabs that probably introduced spiced rice to the island, though it may have been the Normans that were responsible for the ragu sauce filling. Frederick II of Swabia is also often credited with transforming the basic idea of the dish in to a portable snack by looking for a way of taking the dish on hunting trips. The deep fried and breaded coating would have been the perfect solution to the problem. 

MY PARTNER JON SAMPLES AN ARANCINI
IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY - 
EATEN WITH THE FINGERS FROM A 
PAPER NAPKIN

Whatever the case - today Arancini is one of Sicily's best known street foods and one can't visit the island without trying it. Believe you me - try it once and you'll be back for seconds. A variety of fillings are available in many cafes but I think it's the one with the ragu sauce that makes this a stand out tasty treat!