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Sicilian confectionery treasures
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| Cassate, torroni and cannoli: it's impossible to resist the spell of a Sicilian pastry shop window with its explosion of tantalizing colors and aromas. And it's even harder to resist the temptation to taste at least one of these marvelous creations containing all the flavor of an ancient civilization. Forms and recipes that have been handed down from father to son for centuries, preserving a tradition that is found no where else in the world. Every pastry in Sicily has a story to tell, a charming blend of legend and reality. |
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THE ORIGINS OF THE CASSATA |
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Among the vast array of Sicilian pastry products, the place of honor definitely goes to the cassata. Originally created to celebrate Easter and mark the end of the penitential sacrifices associated with Lent, the cassata has come to be a popular treat that is enjoyed all year. Clearly baroque in terms of its sumptuous decorations and the opulence of its flavors, this pastry actually has Arab origins. Its name is a derivative of the Arab word, Quas'at, and the richness of its ingredients reflect the spirit of Saracen cuisine which was fond of harmonizing contrasting flavors.
Legend has it that the cassata was invented around the year one thousand by the cooks at the court of the Emir who resided at the Kalsa of Palermo. Indeed, its ancient origins are recorded in a document from the Synod of Mazara dating from 1575 in which the cassata is defined as an "indispensable component of the Easter celebrations".
The list of ingredients includes sponge cake, chocolate, ricotta and candied fruit. Apparently simple, it takes a great deal of skill to successfully prepare a cassata cake, especially due to the elaborate decorations.
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THE SCEPTER OF EVERY KING |
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Cassata or cannoli? It's hard to choose, indeed, of all the Sicilian pastries and confectionery specialties, cannoli are probably the most commonly found throughout the rest of the world. If these delicacies used to represent an emblem of the far-flung Sicilian emigrants' nostalgia for their distant homeland, today, thanks to lightening-swift international courier services, "cannolis" (as they're called in America) are delivered throughout the world in a matter of hours. First created in the Palermo area, cannoli come in a variety of sizes depending on where they are made. In Palermo you'll find the famous little "cannulicchi", no bigger than a finger, but these exquisite treats tend to grow to gigantic proportions in Piana degli Albanesi, which is just a little south of Palermo. According to legend cannoli were invented in the harem of Caltanissetta (Kalt El Nissa, i.e. "Castle of the women"). Whatever their actual origin, it's easy to understand how, back in the 17th century, a poetic monk from Palermo was inspired to come up with the rather ribald metaphor of "scettru di ogni re e virga di Mosè" (scepter of every king, rod of Moses). They are made from the same basic dough of flour and sugar which is used for any number of traditional fried Carnival pasties. The specialness of cannoli, however, lies in their delicious fresh ricotta cream filling, the principle ingredient of these Sicilian confectionery treats, which, especially during the spring, take on an inimitable flavor, thanks to the fresh and aromatic stalks of tender new grass.
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TO EVERYONE HIS OWN TORRONE |
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Torrone is a kind of nougat and no festival in Sicily would be complete without the obligatory torrone-making ritual, a unique opportunity for the island's culture to give full expression to its amazing variety. Every little village, every town has its own special version of torrone that is distinguished from all the others due to variations in the basic ingredients, decorations or covering. Cooked in the pignata, the big kettle proudly displayed at the stands of the turrunari (torrone makers), the most famous torrone of all is the cubbaita, made with almonds, another typical product of this fertile island. Whole or chopped, the almonds are mixed with honey and sugar (the torrone that is made from this mixture is dark in color), or with sugar and egg whites (in which case, the resulting nougat is snowy white). Other types of torrone are made with pistachios (a variety that is typical of Caltanissetta in the center of Sicily) or hazelnuts (typical of Linguaglossa in the north-east of Sicily), while others are covered with a thin coating of chocolate (typical of the torrone from Paternò in the west of Sicily). They come in a great variety of shapes, from the mattùneddi (little bricks) to the "né cascìtti" (box-shaped) varieties, not to mention the heart-shaped versions. And finally, there is the soft Sicilian torroncino, a sophisticated delicacy with the consistency of finely chopped almonds mixed with honey and covered with a vanilla-, lemon- or orange-flavored topping.
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If the torrone is the symbol of merry small town fairs and celebrations, the silent, secluded sanctuary of the convent has given rise to another equally tantalizing example of Sicilian confectionery skills, i.e. martorana fruit, a specialty that is named after the Martorana Convent in Palermo, where the nuns have managed to jealously conserve the secret of how to make their famous "royal paste" or marzipan, handing it down from one generation of sisters to the next. Marzipan (from the Arab, Mauthaban) is a paste made from peeled almonds, sugar, egg white, essence of lemon and vanilla. Sculpted into the shape of various fruits, it is then colored with vegetable substances and, to provide a final touch of realism, painted with shiny gum arabic.
Legend has it that the so-called royal paste acquired this name because it was allegedly offered to Ferdinand, the king of the Two Sicilies during a period when it was against the law to produce it. According to actual historical records, however, the custom of making fruit from almond paste dates back to a banquet held in 1308 honoring Pope Clement V, during which the guests were treated to the sight of two trees decorated with grapes, figs, apples and other kinds of fruit made from marzipan. "Royal paste" is also used to fashion the little picureddi, i.e. Easter lambs lying in a green meadow strewn with multicolor candies, and the celebrated olivelle di Sant'Agata, little candies shaped like olives, typical of the Patron's Day celebration held in Catania in the middle of the western coast of Sicily.
In addition to marzipan and cassata, Easter has inspired a great many other confectionery specialties, like the ones based on the tradition of "votive breads": special kinds of bread that are different from the everyday varieties, prepared with special attention in order to highlight the importance of the celebration. Hard-boiled eggs constitute an element that is almost always associated with these festive breads. Generally dyed red, the eggs are a symbol of fertility and they are placed inside these sweet breads that are made to resemble dolls or monsters (indeed, they are referred to as pupi cull'uova, i.e. dolls with eggs, in the local dialect), taking on different forms depending on where they happen to be made.
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Finally, there's the ice-cream and granite (crushed-ice with fruit syrup). Inspired by the Arab habit of 'flavoring' snow with spices, fruit and even flowers, they offer welcome relief on torrid summer days. Of the many variations, we would like to mention the most characteristic of these frosty treats: gelo di mellone (a sort of watermelon sherbet) and jasmine ice-cream, which they still refer to as Scursunera in Trapani, a term of obvious Arabic derivation.
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