Category: Seasons
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Nothing Short about Maletto’s Cake
This weekend in Maletto, a town between Randazzo and Bronte on the north slope of Mount Etna, citizens celebrate the 31st annual Sagra della Fragola, or Strawberry Festival. Strawberries, like the ones pictured, are celebrated in all forms: strawberry cake, strawberry pastries, strawberry gelato, strawberry jams, strawberry risotto, strawberry … you get the idea! There’s…
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So Beautiful, It Must Go
A close-up of one of Noto’s flower petal carpets from the 2016 Infiorata. Once the weekend festival comes to and end, the children of the town are invited to gleefully destroy the art work, a gesture that represents a new generation coming and letting going of the past. (Photo Credit: Experience Sicily’s local guide Sebastiano…
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Behind the Scenes at Noto’s 2016 Infiorata
Today, artists were hard at work along via Nicolaci in Noto preparing their entries into the 2016 Infiorata. Our good friend GelsominoImports.com is fortunate enough to be in the Baroque city for the festival. These photos by Niki Masino give us a good idea of the planning and execution of the flower petal carpets. Hopefully,…
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A Bouquet of Artichokes
Spring artichokes at Catania’s market.
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Peas in a Pod
Fava beans at Catania’s open-air market (In season, spring 2015).
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The Easter Arches of San Biagio Platini
Annually each spring, the citizens of San Biagio Platini in Agrigento Province recognize Christ’s triumph over death with the “Archi di Pasqua,” or the Arches of Easter. This year from March 27 until May 7, the mountain town’s Corso Umberto (i.e., Main Street) will be outfitted with elaborate archways, domes, and bell towers constructed using…
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Pasquetta and Cassata
Pasquetta, or Easter Monday, is a day to celebrate spring’s arrival with good friends. Social gatherings in Sicily almost always involve sharing a meal, and most meals are followed by sweets. Cassata cake (picture) is one of those sweets that can be found throughout the island. In the past, cassata used to be associated with…
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Saint Joseph’s Day: Bread Loaves of Devotion
Most prominent element of the altars for Saint Joseph, or le tavolate di San Giuseppe, are the sculpted loaves of bread that represent fertility and prosperity. Celebrate Saint Joseph’s Day in New York City with Experience Sicily, Gelsomino Imports, and Eolo Seasonal Sicilian Kitchen on Sunday, March 20 at 3PM. More details at http://eolonewyork.com/st-josephs-day-feast-2016/. Call…
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Saint Joseph’s Day: A Celebration of Bread
Probably the most distinct ritual of Saint Joseph’s Day revolves around the celebration of bread, which in Sicily and southern Italy is sacred because wheat is the most important crop of the region. The preparation of altars, or tables, known as le tavolate di San Giuseppe (or a Tavulatu di San Giuseppe in Sicilian), are…