Eggplants are to Sicily like potatoes are to Ireland, and now they are in full season. This weekend in Santa Maria, a hamlet of the town of Milazzo, they have been celebrating this staple with the 28th annual Eggplant Festival, or Sagra della Melanzana. Farmers brought their prized eggplants to compete for the grand title, folk music and dance fill the piazza, and of course, eggplant based dishes were enjoyed by all! Hooray for eggplant! Hooray for abundance!
Allison Scola is founder, owner, and curator of Experience Sicily and the Cannoli Crawl. Named one of the experts for the 2019 New York Times Travel Show, Scola writes and lectures on Sicily and leads immersive tours and designs custom itineraries that delight discerning travelers. She has been featured on Rudy Maxa’s World with the Carey’s, America’s #1 Travel Radio Show and as the cannoli expert in the documentary Cannoli, Traditions Around the Table. Scola has lectured about Sicily at University of Pennsylvania, The New School, LIU Post University, Queens College, Westchester Italian Cultural Center, at high schools in the New York City metropolitan area, and at events in New York City.
