Experience Sicily

Tag: wild fennel

  • Foraging For Wild Fennel In Sicily

    ‘Tis the season for foraging wild fennel in Sicily. Not to be confused with the bulb fennel we have in our supermarkets in the United States, wild fennel is mostly fronds (the fern-like leaves), and it contains the best flavor when it is young. One finds wild fennel in the mountains and countryside. A keen…

  • Wild Fennel Makes For A Happy Spring

    Happy Spring! Nothing says spring in Sicily more than wild fennel. And today, being the vernal equinox, I want to bring attention to this fragrant, flavorful plant that grows wild all over the island, and is the principal ingredient of pasta con le sarde (after the sardines of course!). Not to be confused with the…

  • Let’s Get Wild

    In the spring, wild fennel grows throughout Sicily’s mountainous regions. It’s on the side of the road, in orchards under olive trees, in fields… It seems like everywhere you look, within a few meters, you’ll see it. When it’s young, it possesses a wonderful anise or liquorice scent and flavor. On Sunday, in the Madonie-mountain…

  • Pasta with Sardines for Saint Joseph’s Day

    Among the main dishes eaten for Saint Joseph’s Day, or La Festa di San Giuseppe, is Pasta with Sardines, or Pasta con le sarde. The legend of how this dish came about is another post. So today, I’m just focusing on its relevance to the upcoming March 19th feast for Saint Joseph, which falls around…

  • The Difference between Fennel and Wild Fennel

    Fennel, or finocchio, as it’s called in Italian, is an important ingredient in Sicilian cuisine. It grows wild across Sicily throughout spring and into summer, and is the principal ingredient after sardines for pasta con le sarde. But wild fennel isn’t the same as the bulb fennel that we are familiar with in the US.…