La Fiera and La Pescheria are two outdoor daily markets that give life to the streets of Catania and have become one of the city’s major tourist attractions as they are a meeting point between indigenous people and curious foreigners who enjoy watching these markets environment.

La Fiera expands along the city center, being la piazza de Stesicoro its nerve center where the market branches on different streets of the city. From early in the morning you can walk through this market and let the smells and colors of the fruits and vegetables wrap you in. La Fiera is always full of people picking through the wide range of things you can find at this huge market.

La Pescheria is the other central market located next to la piazza del Duomo, an incredible fish market buzzing with its merchants from 5 am until noon. La Pescheria offers a huge variety of incredibly fresh fish and seafood and also offers the opportunity to try in situ some of the products such as clams, mussels, oysters and sea urchins.

After walking through these markets, you better enjoy the wide variety of dishes provided by the restaurants in Catania.

Picture by Berthold Werner

Text  by Fran Arnaiz.

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One of the experiences you can not miss if you visit Catania is to enjoy an authentic 'gelato' while you stroll through its streets and its monuments. Although the ice cream in Italy is an institution, the Sicilians are the most famous and it is one of the pillars of their food culture.

Its making has its own characteristics, with traditional recipes that have been passed from generation to generation, to obtain a softertextureand extraordinaryice cream flavors. Its traditional character is one of its greatest assetsand traditionalice creamandice-cream makers still use the same methods they have always used.

You'll notice thatthe ice creamis served inthe classic scoop, not with the device for forming balls to which we have become used. Try the Ernesto ones, in Via Ruggero di Lauria91-93,at the Pasticceria Quaranta, in Piazza Mancini Battaglia, or Pasticceria Gelateria Santo Musumeci on the Piazza SantaMaria, 9-10.

Artisanal granita

The ice cream is integrated in one of the most typical products of Catania, the 'broscia' or brioche. It is filled with countlessice cream flavors like pistachio, chocolate, caramel, lemon, strawberries, walnuts, hazelnuts, blackberry, tangerine or almonds.

Although granita is a typical Sicilian ice cream, it has little to do with the traditional Italian ice creams; it is similar toa slush but more creamy and refreshing, and is made with natural fruit. Idea lto start the day, especially in summer, being the typical Catanese breakfast.

The different flavors come from the rich products elaborated from the volcanic soil of Etna, mineral products that produce excellent lemons and oranges, tangerines, almonds, strawberries, cherries, hazelnuts and chestnuts. From these ingredients the maximum quality is respected without add in gscentsor preservatives.

But how do you recognizethe perfect granita? One ofthe featuresto look outis that their colorsare soft, which indicates that carries no dyes.For example, almond should be all white, and pistachio, will be more an off greenish, not garish green.

You also have to keep in mind that good granita should be consumed within a few hoursafter its preparation. Whenyou try it, make sure that the icehas not crystallizedor form spuddles.

You'll find the best ones in many places around Etnea street, but the ones from the Pasticceria Savia clearly stand out, one of the most prestigious pastry of Catania, located in Via Etnea 300. Or in the new Prestipino restaurant, located in Via Etnea 30-32, in the beautiful setting between Piazza Duomo and Piazza University.

Also in Etoile D'or from Via Beato Cardinale Giuseppe Benedetto Dusmet, 7, the Chocolate Cafe in Viale Ruggero di Lauria, 129, where you can taste their successful versions made of almonds and pistachios in the seafront. As in Café de Paris, in Viale Ruggero di Lauria, 25, one of the favorite places of the inhabitants of Catania.

One of the most centric and busy is the historical Cafe Europa in Italia, 302. A meeting place to try the essentials of Catanese cuisine. Here, in particular the most requested is their strawberry version.

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The province of Catania offers to travelers a wide range of landscapes, passing by small bays and bucolic trails, from Etna, the highest volcano in Europe, to the waters of the Ionian coast. And, as in landscapes, gastronomy of Catania is formed by great diversity of traditional recipes where converge Mediterranean tastes and textures.

Herbs, spices and products make a journey of flavors on the palate. From oriental spices like cinnamon and saffron - that flavored so many dishes-, to the sweet and sour or citrus contrasts.

The Etna volcanic soil is rich in minerals which, alongside with its characteristic climate, allows the cultivation of excellent fruits like lemons and oranges, tangerines, apples, olives, almonds, strawberries, cherries, hazelnuts, chestnuts and the production of quality wines worldwide recognized.

One of the great products of this dark and fertile land is the Bronte pistachio, the "green gold of Sicily", which is used for making ice cream, sauces and in many recipes.

Historic markets 

Perfect to discover the land's products, nothing better than to visit its historic markets, the Fescheria and the Piazza Carlo Alberto Markets, who from early hours swarm at a frantic pace.

In Fescheria, located in Duomo Square, the visitor can try some of the products in site , such as clams, mussels, sardines, anchovies, oysters, sea urchins or mauru, an algae of the area which is eaten raw and dressed with a few drops of lemon.

Granita

To start the day, especially in summer, you should try the typical Catanese breakfast with lemon granita, almond, strawberry or chocolate, accompanied by a brioche called Tuppu. The granita is a Sicilian icecream that has little to do with the typical Italian icecream; it is similar to the typical granita but more creamy and refreshing, and is made ​​with natural fruit.

Pasta alla Norma

The most traditional dish is "Pasta alla Norma", which is normally prepared with macaroni or spaghetti, tomato sauce, crispy fried eggplant, fresh ricotta, albahaca, and is named after the most famous opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, born in Catania.

Arancini

Taste as well the typical arancini for a snack or a light meal. It is a ball of fried rice prepared in Sicily in a thousand ways: filled with meat, spinach, ham or eggplant. It must be eaten by holding the tip. They are very good at restaurantes such as Etoile d'Or (the Piazza Umberto), Spinella (Via Etnea 298) or Da Ernesto. (Via Ruggero di Lauria 91/93)

Catanese pastry

Do not forget the famous Catanese pastry and, especially, the popular cannoli -a flaky pastry filled with ricotta and nuts-, the cassata alla ricotta or almond and pistachio pastries. They can be found in many local street Etnea, as in Pasticceria Savia, one of the most prestigious bakeries in Catania. (Via Etnea 300 http://www.savia.it/)

Chioschi

One of the attractions of the Catanian cuisine are its chioschi , a octagonal shaped booths at strategic shadowy places, where thirst and temporary fatigue are relieved. Some refreshments are traditionally served based in fruit syrups mixed with carbonated water time.

Each neighborhood has its own chioschi. It comes to be the place where people get together at any time as they are open almost 24 hours a day. Here you will appreciate the habits and customs of the Catanese.

The first chioschi called Costa, opened in 1986 in Piazza Stesicoro, and later opened Vezzosi in Piazza Duomo. The Costa moved to Piazza Santo Spirito and Vezzosi moved to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III, where they are today.

Picture Pasta alla Norma by Paoletta S.

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As in much of Spain, Holy Week unfolds with great intensity in most of Sicily. This comes as no surprise – the processions of penitents commemorating Christ’s Passion and Death were brought to the island by the Spanish in the 16th century.  While they abound across Sicily, the processions that arouse the greatest expectation are those held in villages like Enna and Caltanissetta, both of which lie about an hour’s drive away from Catania.

But all Sicily’s beautiful, timeless villages preserve their deep-rooted traditions, each with its own character. A holiday on the island during Holy Week could combine sightseeing in coastal towns, discovering local architecture and tasting their delicious cuisine. And, during the festivities, the religious guilds stage spectacular Easter processions in which the Baroque aesthetic prevails.

If you want to savour some of these ancient festivals, go to Prizzi on Easter morning. There they celebrate the Ballo dei diavoli (dance of the devils). In this folk tradition from the Middle Ages, death, dressed in yellow, accompanied by devils clad in red, roam the town heckling the passers-by, who can only get rid of their tormentors by giving them a donation. This takes place just when the madonna and child make their entry. This curious form of revelry, a mix of the religious and the profane, represents the eternal struggle between good and evil.

A similar event known as the Diavolatais held in Adrano.The main square or Piazza Umberto provides the backdrop for this battle between good and evil, represented by Lucifer and his devils on one side and St Michael the Archangel on the other.

Another picturesque celebration is the Madonna Vasa Vasa,in Modica, in which the faithful crowd around the floats on their way to the church of St Mary of Bethlehem to witness the traditional bacio di mezzogiorno (the noon kiss) between the Virgin Mary and the resurrected Christ. Vasa means “kiss”. Dressed in mourning, the Madonna is carried through the streets of Modica in search of her son, to the rhythm of drumming. Throughout the procession, the people sing, dance and drink to celebrate the event. While strolling through the winding streets of Modica’s charming historical centre, visitors will eventually come across the striking Baroque architecture in the area around the Castle of the Counts of Modica, listed as a World Heritage site since 2002.

One of the oldest and most enigmatic celebrations is the Procession of the Mysteries, held in the historical centre of Trapani. Full of light and emotion, this procession consists of twenty float groups depicting the Passion and Death of Christ which parade through the streets for 24 hours, starting on Good Friday afternoon. The figures are borne on the shoulders of the massari to the rhythm of a traditional music known as annaccata.

As in all traditional festivities, Holy Week in Sicily has its characteristic confectionery. The colomba pasquale (Easter dove), also known as the palummeddi or pastifuorti, is eaten in the home. This typical sweet is usually shaped like a dove or rooster, although new shapes are emerging all the time. It consists of flour, sugar and cinnamon, topped off with a hard-boiled egg as a symbol of Easter and rebirth. A similar pastry is the cuddura, typical of the Calabria region. Based on flour and water, it is similarly adorned with hard-boiled eggs. The casatta siciliana is another cake eaten at Easter, although it is sold in pastry shops all year around. If you would like to taste some of these delicacies, the best assortment is to be had at Pasticceria Irrera, on the Piazza Cairoli 12 in Messina, and at Caffè Sicilia, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, 125 Noto de Siracusa.

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Text by ScannerFM

Image by Clemensfranz, Carmelo Giuseppe Colletti, Rmax75, Giovanni, Traktorminze