Best Food Tour of Sicily – Taste The Flavors of Sicily ( 11 Nights )

Welcome to Palermo Food Tour

The food tour in Sicily is pleasure. Sicilian cuisine is one of the best known and most appreciated cuisine not only in Italy but all over the world. The Sicilian gastronomic tradition is indeed rich with tasty dishes, and each part of the island has its own.

Palermo’s habitants are known for frying, but it is remiss to reduce the local gastronomy to just that. Sicilian cuisine is a reflection of this multicolored, multicultural island. The people, architecture and art reflect the island’s rich past as does the gastronomy!

Palermo’s food is characterized by influences from the Arabs, Romans, Normans, Greeks, Spanish, Jews and so on, a crossroads that is particularly evident in the local street food. In Palermo, street food–and food in general–is serious business! Anywhere and at any time of day or night, you’ll always find something to eat—authentic and tasty, often at a bargain price. Let us first take you on a tasting journey of the typical flavors of Palermo.

Taste the best street food in Palermo

• Pani ca Meusa: A peculiar sandwich of Palermo with spleen, caciocavallo cheese and lemon.
• Arancina: These small rice balls are stuffed with stew, cheese, spinach–anything you want–and fried! They are soft and warm on the inside, and crispy and golden on the outside. In Sicily they are called ‘arancina’ (female). In this area of Sicily, it is called Arancina as female beacuse is considered a feminine word. Instead, a masculine word Arancino is used in Catania (The East part of Sicily).
• Sfincione, whic is a thick, soft, wet pizza, covered with tomato sauce, onion, oregano, anchovies and cheese. To eat without moderation.
• Pane and panelle: Not a fan of spleen? That’s ok, this other iconic sandwich is a sandwich comprised of fried chickpea flour called “panelle” and fried mashed potatoes or “crocchè”… it’s delicious! The hot fried chickpea flour and mashed potatoes covered with a very thin fried shell will make you want to extend your stay. Season it with just lemon and salt, you might need to sit down and brace yourself for your first bite.
• Cassata cake: the best typical Cassata is in Palermo! It consists of round sponge cake moistened with liqueur and layered with ricotta  cheese and candied fruit, delicious!
• Cannolo at Piana degli Albanesi: The cannoli from Piana degli Albanesi are considered the best in the world. They are different from those in Palermo, Trapani or Erice, or in the rest of Sicily because they make the shells by hand and the ricotta in the  filling is made with sheep’s milk.

Sferracavallo Food Tour

Located near Mondello beach in Palermo, Sferracavallo is a tiny village founded by a group of fisherman in the fifteenth century and remains a typical fishing village famous for its restaurants. In fact, its said you can’t really go wrong in Sferracavalo. That being said, let our local guide take you to their prefered restaurant and to some picturesque sites.

Arrive In Trapani

Located in the west-most point of the main Island, Trapani is home to many famous pasta dishes made with fresh ingredients. A variety of aromatic seaside dishes have also evolved due to its historic Arab dominence. Sample the best of Trapani with us.

Busiate with pesto alla trapanese a traditional Trapanese dish. It is a variation of traditional pesto alla genovese made with oil, basil, tomatoes, almonds, pecorino cheese and garlic. This pesto can be used to season any kind of pasta, but traditionally it’s combined with Busiate, a particular spiral-shaped pasta originally from Trapani.

San Vito lo Capo

San Vito lo Capo is a seaside town near Trapani, north west of Sicily best known for its stunning beach to the front of Mount Monaco. The town center features a fortress-like structure with Arab-Norman architecture from the fifteenth century. And these Arab-Norman influences can also be found in the food you’ll get a taste of with us. Eat at the best restaurant san vito lo capo.

Cous cous is a traditional dish but the recipe’s origins are from Mahgreb, so it spread in Sicily after the Arab dominance. An official recipe of Couscous alla trapanese does not exists, because each family has its own particular way of preparing it. In general, the couscous is made with different types of seafood (the more the better!) and various kinds of vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, carrots, then seasoned with olive oil, many spices, herbs and chopped almonds.

Marsala

Come visit Marsala famous for its ancient ruins, salt mines and wine, chicken marsala, marsala sauce and etc. Ask us if you want more time there to explore the Stagnone Nature Reserve, or visit any of the archeological museums.

First we’ll ensure you get to taste the best of Marsala and sample its famous fortified wine.

Pasta with Broccoli is one of the typical dishes in Marsala, made with cheese, breadcrumb, raisins and saffron. Whilst it may sound simple, this is a signature trait of Sicilian cuisine. And no one can quite make a simple dish as spectacular as the Sicilians, Italians will second this! Cous cous with fish is also common in Marsala thanks to its Arab influences.

Agrigento

Agrigento is famous as the home of Greek temples, but also a must for a food tour of Sicily. A vegetarians paradise, you won’t go hungry in Agrigento and you’ll leave feeling light.

Macco di fave: Macco con le fava beans is a dish that consists of a cream of broad beans, enriched with vegetables and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil. Other excellent first courses of Agrigento are pasta with artichokes, pizza agrigento, pasta with fava beans and ricotta and cavatelli all’agrigentina, with eggplant and salted ricotta.

Modica

Food in the splendid Baroque city of southern Sicily has ancient origins. According to some historical sources, it dates back to the sixteenth century, that is the period of Spanish domination. Come and taste the wonderful flavors of this city, a little on the heartier side to mix things up.

Scaccia Modicana is a kind of stuffed focaccia, with thinly rolled dough, stuffed and then folded several times. The possible fillings vary from tomato and seasoned caciocavallo to fried aubergines and basil, up to onions and ricotta. Sciacca is a city famous for its Carnival which happens in May.

Ricotta ravioli: Among the typical dishes of the area the first courses based on homemade pasta stand out. A must are the egg pasta ravioli stuffed with ricotta and marjoram, prepared on Sundays or on holidays. The sweet flavor of the filling is balanced by the seasoning: a rich and savory pork sauce.

Chocolate in Modica

Modica is famous for its production of boutique artisanal chocolate. That’s why it would be remiss to not incorporate some chocolate tasting while there.

If travelling as a family, we can arrange a boutique chocolate factory tour, sampling as you learn about the history of chocolate production. Adults may also wish to take part in a guided chocolate tasting tour beautifully paired with spirits such as Marsala Liquore.

Catania Stay and Food Tour

Catania is the second largest city in Sicily after the capital, Palermo. It’s located on the opposite side of the island and seems to be proudly turning its back on that city, gazing wistfully towards Greece, where the founders of most of the Eastern Sicilian cities came from. It occupies the space between the sea and Mount Etna—known locally as ‘a Muntagna or ‘u Mungibeddu—one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

On your first day, we’ll ensure you get to taste this signature first course and side dish in Catania.

Pasta alla norma: Composer Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) is one of Catania’s most famous sons. The main theatre in the city centre is called “Bellini”. He had international success within this lifetime as an opera composer, one of the most famous is “Norma”. This pasta consists on rigatoni, cooked in a tomato and basil sauce, with fried eggplant. Then a generous amount of grated ricotta salata (salted ricotta cheese) is sprinkled on top. Tomato, plus eggplant, plus cheese is Heaven on a plate!

Caponata: Hands down one of the tastiest dishes only a Sicilian can master. Caponata is a mix of souted onions, potatoes, tomato, eggplants and pepperoni, pine nuts and rainsins. This is a perfect side dish cooked mainly with aubergines, tomatoes and basil. The result is a mix of scents, colours and flavours that recall the suggestions of the splendid land.

Complete your tasty tour in Catania with these treats

• Arancino (fried rice balls): In Italy there is confusion as to whether Sicily’s famous rice balls are feminine (arancine) or masculine (arancini). In Sicily there is no doubt whatsoever: in Palermo they are feminine and in Catania masculine. They also look different. Arancine are round like the oranges from which they get their name; arancini have a point on the top, like Mount Etna. In any case, we’ll ensure you get to try it on your first day and let you be the judge which you prefer between Catania’s arancino and Palermo’s arancina.
• Cartocciata: Pastry rolls stuffed with mozzarella, cooked ham, and olives. The fillings peek out from each end of the pastry, promising a delicious mouthful in every bite.
• Ricotta infornata: Baked ricotta cheese takes on a yellow hue and a more intense taste which pairs well with dessert wine. There’s a dispute as to whether to use this cheese or salted ricotta (ricotta salata) with Pasta alla Norma.
• Horse meat: Not compulsory of course but for those who are interested, a traditional street food that you can find just in Catania is the horse meat, usually eaten as meatballs or small steaks.
• Granita: Any time is perfect for a Sicilian Granita! The ritual of Sicilian granita (semi-frozen sicilian dessert) with its slow time, quality and variety of flavours, is a sign of Sicilian culture and history. It is mandatory with cream and brioche, it is usually eaten by local for breakfast during summertime or as a dessert. There is even a flavour made with real pistachio from Bronte which is like nothing you’ve ever tasted!

Bronte Beach Food

Visit Bronte, world famous for the most esquisite pistacchio. Taste the originals here in their authentic setting. Sicilian pistacchio grows only on Etna lava soil and thanks to its origin it has an emerald green colour, an intense aroma and a particularly savoury taste. Here you will be treated to a whole three-course meal lunch based around the versatile pistacchio. Explore our Sicily vacation packages and know more about the toirs in detail. Bronte beach fish and chips are very famous dishes in Bronte everyone should try this once.