Sicilian food and dining

Sicily has an astounding array of food that is largely thanks to the endless number of invaders that all traipsed through the island and left something culinary behind. The Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Spanish and even the English all left a dish or two, some ingredients or style of cooking behind here.

That means you won't find just the typical Italian dishes of pizza and pasta, although these are here in their abundance. But rather Sicilian food has been enriched by things like capers, chillies, tuna, swordfish, olives and pine nuts giving it a bit of extra zing and flavour.

Sicily has also been blessed with a milder climate than parts of northern Italy, which means fruit and vegetables are more abundant all year round. The best way to appreciate the full range of this produce is in the local markets. Every town and city has these, but amongst the most atmospheric and interesting are those in Catania and Palermo. Not only is the food cheaper in these markets, it’s also delicious. But in any case eating out in restaurants in Sicily won't blow your budget.

So just what are some of the specialities? Well let's take a look at it a daily eating schedule in Sicily. In the morning Sicilians usually enjoy a cappuccino and a cornetto or pastry filled with jam, custard or chocolate. Sometimes this is called a brioche. If you get hungry between breakfast and lunch keep a look out for some of the street snacks such as arancine (rice balls stuffed with meat or cheese), mini pizzas or panini (sandwiches).

For lunch you could go al fresco with all the wonderful breads on offer that go down well with local cheeses (like sheep's-milk ricotta), olive oils and salads such as couscous - a direct hand-me-down from former Arab inhabitants. In the afternoon you may prefer a sweet snack and Sicily's pastries are simply to die for. There are cannoli, tubular fried pastries stuffed liberally with ricotta and chocolate, or cassata, a sugary cake filled with ricotta; both guaranteed to keep you going until dinner time. Marzipan is also commonly used in Sicilian cakes and is a result of Arabic influences.

Sicilians commonly enjoy an apertivo (drink and appetizer) in the late afternoon and it’s definitely a good tradition to take part in. You might like to try a drink of distinctively Sicilian origin such as Marsala, the famous dessert wine (probably best taken after dinner). Alternatively consider the non-alcoholic Sicilian alternative in the sweet crushed ice drink granita, a popular summer drink that you'll find in bars and take away stalls.

For dinner you really can't look past Sicily's excellent seafood. Given this is an island you would expect a menu of anchovies, sardines, tuna, swordfish, crab, cuttlefish or mussels and the restaurants do not disappoint. However Sicilian meat dishes are equally good, perhaps particularly the chicken or veal (vitello) alla marsala, or cooked in sweet Marsala wine.

After dinner the best thing to wash it all down with is a locally made gelato (icecream) or a real Sicilian dessert such as frutta di martorana, an almond marzipan pastry.

And if you’ve eaten all this in one day, you’ll certainly sleep well at night. Buon appetito!