Best Sicily Resorts for Foodies

If you love fine cuisine then you can’t beat the decadence of Italian food, and many self-declared foodies choose Italy as a holiday destination just for this reason.

Sicily, in particular, has a vibrant food culture, with a variety of dishes that can suit a range of tastes. The vegetables and seafood in Sicily are out of this world, making classic Italian dishes like parmigiana and caponata a real treat to experience in their birthplace.

If you love food and are thinking about a food tour of Sicily or simply a relaxing break in the Mediterranean with good food, then here are the top resorts to visit and the dishes you must try!

Catania

The city of Catania sits at the foothills of the epic Mount Etna on Sicily’s east coast. Being a coastal town, the fish and seafood here is amazing, and many restaurants offer a catch of the day dish that couldn’t be fresher.

Some our favourite dishes include:

• Pasta alla norma: A zesty pasta dish in a tomato sauce with Sicilian aubergine, basil and a touch of ricotta cheese.
• Ghiotta di pesce spada: This is a classic fish dish from Catania, featuring a fillet of swordfish in a fresh tomato sauce with olives and capers.
• Cannoli con cioccolato: These sweet treats are available across Sicily but are especially good in Catania. They are made of puff pastry and filled with cream and chocolate.

Ragusa

Ragusa is one of our favourite hidden gems in Sicily and sits inland on the south side of the island, about 90 km from Syracuse. It is most famous for its glorious Hyblaean honey and its caciocavallo ragusano cheese, which is PDO protected and a must-try on your Sicily food tour.

Some of our favourite dishes include:

• Scaccia: This is a type of flat bread and is stuffed with ricotta cheese, Italian sausage, tomatoes, onions and aubergine.
• Macco: We love the diversity of Sicilian cuisine and this bean soup sums up the rich variety in the traditional Sicilian diet, which features lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, fish and legumes.
• Biancomangiare: There is something special about the almonds from Sicily and this dessert displays them in all their glory. It is a sort of pudding made with milk and flavoured with almonds, and is thought to date back to the Middle Ages. If you get a chance, also try the almond biscotti in Sicily with a rich espresso for the ultimate afternoon pick-me-up!

Palermo

Palermo is Sicily’s capital and is home to some of the island’s best architecture, as well as iconic Sicilian dishes, such as arancine rice balls and fresh caponata, which is usually served cold as a starter in Sicily.

Setting caponata aside, some of our favourite dishes include:

• Baked anelletti: If you are visiting Palermo during one of the holidays, this is a must-try dish that uses anelletti pasta, which resembles spaghetti hoops. The pasta is baked into a round “cake” with minced beef, aubergine and peas, all in a decadent tomato sauce.
• Pasta with sardines: Sardines feature heavily on the menu in Palermo but this traditional pasta dish shakes things up with wild fennel.
• Brioche: A classic summer breakfast in Palermo is brioche with granita (an iced dessert), but the brioche buns are so good in Palermo that you may find yourself enjoying them morning, noon and night!

What About Wine?

If you would also like to discover the tradition of Sicilian wine on your food-themed holiday, we highly recommend the following cities and towns:

• Taormina – being at the foothills of Mount Etna, it is close to the Etna DOC vineyards, allowing you to enjoy the rare beauty of this unique part of the world, as well as the local wine that is among the best in Sicily.
• Syracuse – sitting on the coast, Syracuse is an excellent choice for a Sicily coastal holiday and, as well as the excellent, fresh seafood, it also boasts idyllic vineyards and is particularly good for Moscato di Siracuse wine, which is made exclusively with the divine Moscato Bianco grapes.
• Erice – this hidden gem sits on the west of the island and boasts the classic Erice Passito made with Zibibbo grapes and the sweet Erice Spumante, which is a sparkling wine.

If you’re interested in a wine tour of Sicily, take a peek at our Etna, Syracuse and Erice multi-centre holiday, which can be customised to your requirements and is available from just £699 per person for 6 nights.

If we have sparked your interest in Sicily for a food or wine tour, then why not chat to one of our travel experts about our customised Sicily holidays? We tailor our holidays to suit you, which means you can choose when to travel and how long to stay in Sicily, as well as the optional tours that are included in your package. To find out more, call a member of our expert team on 01223 637331 or click here to send an online enquiry. You can also browse our packages by clicking here.