Sicilian Cuisine - Part One

Ciao!
While visiting Sicily via Google Earth, we got hungry so we decided to research traditional Sicilian cuisine, which is famous for its flavorful and healthy dishes. Sicilian cuisine, though it is normally regarded as Italian cuisine, has Spanish, Greek and Arab influences. Dishes with apricots, citrus, saffron, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon suggest an Arab influence, while dishes with meat have Norman roots. The Spanish also influenced Sicily's food, introducing maize, tomatoes and cocoa from the Americas. Greek influence can be found in dishes with fish, olives, and broad beans.
Apart from a few Norman dishes, Sicilian cuisine consists of mainly fish, rice, cheese (made from cow and sheep's milk), and of course, pasta. Couscous, arancini (a kind of deep-fried rice croquettes) and dishes with citrus are also very popular. Desserts are a famous part of Sicily's cuisine and include treats such as Cannoli, Biscotti Ennesi and ice cream. We'll travel to Palermo tomorrow and take a closer look at Sicily's dessert dishes.

If you are interested in learning more about Sicily's Mediterranean cuisine visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_cuisine
and
http://cuisineitalia.com/?page_id=31

Happy Traveling!
Flora and Leanne