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There’s no better way to explore the rich and diverse gastronomy of this Italian isle than a trip to the market, says Vicky Bennison
Market life
It was Goethe who said something along the lines of, ‘You ain’t seen Italy if you’ve not been to Sicily’ and, indeed the island has enjoyed many such rave reviews through the centuries. This has also been the case with its gastronomy: thanks to fertile volcanic soils, great c limate and fish-rich seas, Sicily has been impressing everyone since the ancient Greeks – in The Odyssey Homer even waxed lyrical about the abundance of fruit and vegetables on the island. And today, there’s no b etter introduction to Sicilian plenty than in her street markets.
Catania markets
Sicilians consider themselves the best fishermen in Italy, and if you only visit one market during your trip, it should be the Catania fish market, La Pescheria (5-11am, Monday to Saturday). To experience the drama and passion that fish generates on this island at its best, enter the market via the alley behind the statue in the corner of the Duomo square: you’ll be confronted by an amphitheatre full of singing, shouting, and fish-thumping bloody action. Huddled groups of teenagers sit on upturned pails shelling prawns; myriad silver and coral coloured fish glitter on ice; live eels seethe in watery boxes; while swordfish heads and beaks stand sentinel over their ink-blue bodies and moon flesh steaks. It’s like finding you’ve got a walk on part in the opening act of an opera, and one that hasn’t changed in centuries. In fact, the only sign of change seem to be the guys wear trainers and the butchers use clingfilm to protect the offal on display.
The stallholders are all characters. Francesco, for example, holds out fish to passing shoppers, jovially entreating them to buy his catch: mantis shrimp – which look a bit like large, flattened prawns – and red mullet, which he recommends should be fried with olive oil and garlic and served on a mound of spaghetti. His neighbour Leonardo, meanwhile, would rather take you home to supper (if you’re pretty) to show you how to handle his rosy-fleshed squid and mournful looking cuttlefish.
Over the way, Giovanne is a little more reserved: he is a sciabola or scabbard fish specialist, silver ribbon-shaped creatures with pantomime villain faces, coiled up for sale like bicycle wheels. Although they don’t look thick enough, they make excellent eating if cut into steaks and fried. Under the arches, Fabio glowers over his mosaic of molluscs: vongole, telline, mussels, oysters and sea urchins. The latter are already split open to reveal the deep orange interiors – and you can eat them raw on the spot.
After the cacophony of the fish market, La Fiera in Piazza Carlo Alberto is a more sedate affair. It’s here, however, where you first appreciate that Sicilians are big on cauliflower (in Catania they like their caulis purple whereas in Palermo they’re lime green), broccoli and citrus fruits, and everywhere you wander there are spectacular mounds of produce perched on scooters, stalls and pick-up trucks. Here you’ll find perfectly ripe, knobbly, thick-skinned cedro lemons – used for candied peel – blood oranges, clementines, mandarins and navel oranges.
Before leaving the area, don’t forget to try the best arancine in town at Savia’s, on the corner of via Etna and via Umberto. Also try thirst-quenching selz al limone, fresh lemon juice with salt, or mandarino verde (green mandarin) from one of the two elegant chioschi (kiosks) in via Umberto.
Culinary roots
Sicily’s strategic location has meant a succession of foreign conquests, which have given rise to culinary traditions that draw upon the Mediterranean basin and beyond. The Arabs gave Sicily ice-cream, pasta, and at one stage grew rice just south of Catania, hence the Sicilian snack arancine (deep-fried, cone-shaped rice croquettes). Their introduction of sugarcane revolutionised cake and confectionary making. One famous example of dolci is cannoli, deep-fried pastry tubes filled with ricotta and decorated with pistachios. The Spanish culinary contributions, meanwhile, were chocolate and other New World essentials like tomatoes. And you may also notice a similarity between Spanish empanada and Sicilian pasticcio (savoury pastry pies, with fillings such as swordfish).
Since bread has been the staple part of the Sicilian diet, you’ll find recipes often specify breadcrumbs – to use up the remains of stale loaves and to make meat or vegetables go further. You’ll also find a love of offal, snails and wild greens from the countryside.
Palermo markets
The Palermo markets feel more Middle Eastern, thanks to the narrow crowded streets and raucous vendors. La Vecciria (open 7am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, early closing day Wednesdays) is the most famous, and it’s a good place to experience Sicilians’ love of street food. Most mornings, you’ll find Rocky in Piazza Caracciolo, the centre of the market, selling a local speciality: pane con milza, buns stuffed with sautéed veal lights (that’s a euphemism for lungs – and there’s another version which uses spleen): they’re very finely sliced, fried in pork fat, then served with a robust seasoning of salt and lemon juice. The steaming roll is actually rather good – if you have a passing acquaintance with anatomy you’ll be relieved to learn the meat is nothing like a bath-sponge at all – and you’ll be encouraged to keep eating by Rocky, exhorting you in broken English to finish it all. If this is a gastro-adventure too extreme for your palate, then sniff your way to grilled kebabs, squid or another Palermite speciality, panelle – chickpea fritters.
Other markets
All the major cities – including Syracuse, Messina and Ragusa – have daily municipal markets as well as small street markets, while villages and suburbs will have a once-a-week mercatino or little market.
Trápani (left and bottom), for example, is well known for its tuna, although its daily fish market is now housed in a rather municipal looking modern building that conforms to EU regulations and it’s not very charming – but if you are serious about fish, there are some excellent specimens to be bought or admired. The town is still worth a visit for a stroll through the chic historic centre and the former fish market (Piazza Mercato di Pesce), which is now home to some excellent deli stalls. Antonino and Vito are friendly rival vendors, each selling a selection of the most delicious smoked or dried swordfish and tuna. Thinly slice the fish, sozzle the pieces in extra virgin olive oil, and serve on bread – worthy of a dinner party, or even your own private feast.
The other main market, Mercato di Ballaró is a more extensive affair, crammed along crumbling lanes – this is where Palermo residents prefer to do their shopping. Check out the specialist olive stalls with piles of black brown and green fruit spiced up with chilli and garlic – stallholders are happy to let you sample them before you buy and can tell you where in the island the olives originate from. Also worth investigating are the cheese stands: Nunzio Napoli (identifiable by his cry “pecorélla”) on Via Martoglio has excellent ricotta – fresh, baked or salted – and the local cow’s milk cheese caciocavallo.
Vicky Bennison is author of The Taste of a Place travel guides. Editions so far include Corfu, Andalucía and Mallorca. Check out www..tasteofaplace.com
PICTURES COURTESY: VICKY BENNISON; CATANIA TOURIST BOARD
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