Tag: mercato
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Making Friends in Il Capo Market
Palermo has three ancient markets: Vucciria, Ballarò, and Il Capo. Vucciria isn’t what it was 40 years ago when Renato Guttuso painted it, which is perhaps a good thing. Now, during the day, it is smaller and host to a few food stands and many antiques and collectible vendors. At night, however, when it comes…
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Cherry Season
Sicilians eat seasonally, so from mid-May to about right now, they have been enjoying a lot of cherries (ciliegie). Don’t tell the vendor in the Mercato Antico of Siracusa, but while in Ortigia, I enjoyed a few myself! (I cannot tell a lie, really, he was right there!) When planning your trip to Sicily, find…
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Hands-on Sicily
Visiting the vibrant markets of Sicily is a crash course in Sicilian cuisine, the natural world, and culture all at once. Here, I’m in Il Capo market in Palermo getting a lesson on spatola (or spatula aka silver scabbarfish or lepidopus caudatus) from the fish monger. Spatola is a beautiful silver, long fish found in…
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Spice It Up
Palermo’s outdoor markets should be on your itinerary when visiting this historic city. Among the three centers of exotic scents, cacophonous sounds, and vibrant colors: Il Capo, Ballarò, and Vucciria, you’ll find what you are looking for and a few things you didn’t know you needed… Like the spices pictured. Each market has its own…
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Catania’s Animated Market
Catania boasts a lively fish market each morning. When visiting Catania, this is a spectacle not to miss! Go to Piazza del Duomo, and listen for the fish monger’s calls.
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A Mighty Swordfish
In the fishing village of Pozzillo, near Acireale north of Catania, this weekend they are celebrating swordfish with the Sagra del Pesce Spada. Specifically, their specialty is eating a grilled fillet as part of a sandwich. The one pictured, from Il Capo market in Palermo, shows you just how mighty this fish is.
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So Sweet
Just because right now, the watermelon (anguria) in Sicily is so sweet!
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Fall in Love with Palermo
Markets are a thrilling way to understand a culture and rub elbows with the locals. On many of our small-group tours, an expert local guide leads us through the markets of Palermo. She introduces us to the ways of the Palermitani, from what to purchase that day, to where to find the best arancina in…
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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…