What’s better when we travel is to experiment with local cuisine and not limit ourselves to new culinary experiences: whether it’s a dish of alpaca meat or liqueur made with hornets’ poison, we throw ourselves and risk. Well, we could not have happened better in Sicily!

Our trip to Sicily proved to be a real food and wine tour: we tried all the possible and imaginable delicacies, up to our stomach did not ask us for mercy! This is our personal ranking of the best foods tested in Sicily.

• 1st place: Genovesi Ericine

Drumroll! The first place goes to the Genovesi Ericine, small cakes of soft dough, filled with a custard that smells like lemon.We had no doubts about where to try these delicious desserts: Maria Grammatico’s pastry shop, the most famous shop in Erice. As soon as we entered the laboratory, an overwhelming smell of lemons, cream and icing sugar invaded us: a real paradise! As we watched the window of sweets as children, the laboratory began to churn out Genovesi Ericine pans and we were lucky enough to taste them warm and freshly made. Very good!

Genovesi Ericine of Grammatico’s pastry shop in Erice

• 2nd place: seared tuna with caramelized onions

In Marsala we do not remember so much about the pretty central square but the excellent dinner based on local products that we were lucky enough to taste. Indeed, thinking about it was the most delicious and tasty dinner in our whole trip to Sicily! Walking in the historic center of Marsala we came across the tavern Ci Vulia Quarant8, a small room run by very friendly and polite staff, who immediately welcomed us and organized a dinner of typical dishes. The slice of seared tuna with caramelized onions is spectacular: a delicacy that melts in your mouth. Only thinking about, there is an uncontrollable desire to return straight to Marsala!

Seared tuna with caramelized onions in Marsala

• 3rd place: Palermo street food

In the Kalsa district, the oldest part of Palermo, there is a small and simple kiosk, with some simple wooden tables, which serves excellent street food: it is the Antica Friggitoria Chiluzzo.

We were immediately attracted by this small fryer stormed by workers on a lunch breaktime. We told ourselves that if it is so popular with the locals, it can only be good: our intuition has not disappointed us!

Here, you can try the typical bread and panelle, the potato croquettes, the sandwich with the beef spleen and then the inevitable arancine, breaded and fried rice bombs; all at really low prices.

By the way, do you say “arancino” or “arancina”? Matteo and I asked ourselves a couple of times, aware of the age-old linguistic diatribe. It’s a bit like wondering if the egg or the chicken was born before! We have solved the problem by asking just the nice manager of the Ancient Friggitoria: in Palermo we say “arancina” and has the round shape; in Catania, on the other hand, it is called “arancino” and has a pointed shape.

We tried both but (sorry people from Catania!) we preferred the arancine from Palermo. Catania, however, wins hands down on Pasta alla Norma and pistachio granita, which rank respectively in the 4th and 5th place of our ranking of Sicilian foods (see below)!

Panelle and arancina of the Antica Friggitoria Chiluzzo of Palermo

• 4th place: Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma stands out from the podium, but not because less tasty.

Consider a little restaurant with a red and white checked tablecloth a few steps from the central square of Catania, soft lights and background music, a glass of white wine and then … pasta alla norma! It was the first dish that we tasted as soon as we arrived in Sicily: from that moment we understood that our journey would have taken a marked culinary turn.

We tried several times the pasta alla norma during our trip (yes, we did not really have brakes!), but none like the one tried at the restaurant U Fucularu, in the center of Catania, has won us over: low price for an abundant course and tasty.

Pasta alla Norma homamade, “U Fucularu” restaurant in Catania

• 5th place: Pistachio granita

Is it possible to fall in love with pistachio nuts if you have always hated pistachios? It seems a question from Marzullo but yes, it is possible!

Before setting foot in Sicilian land, I had relegated the pistachio to my personal black list food, one of those foods that you are willing to eat only in case of natural disasters and when not even the sole of the shoe is edible. I had to change my mind: I love pistachios and I love pistachio granita!

The best pistachio granita we tasted was in Aci Trezza, at the Mytos Bar on the seafront overlooking the splendid Baia dei Ciclopi, one of the must-see destinations on a trip to Sicily (to discover more, look at the experiences not to be missed in Sicily)

Pistachio granita in Aci Trezza

• 6th place: Setteveli cake

The blood sugar level rises abruptly at the sight of Setteveli, a dark chocolate mousse that is assembled in layers of pralined hazelnuts and crunchy chocolate. Only for sweet lovers!

We tried it in Palermo, in the historical pastry shop Touring Café. We have to admit it: we were exhausted, we had just concluded several “rounds” of street food and we had a full stomach, but we did not stop. The Setteveli had to be tried The Setteveli of Touring Cafè in Palermo.

Setteveli cake, Cafe Touring in Palermo