This chewy, oily flatbread is quite versatile, and can be topped with a range of ingredients such as coarse sea salt, olive oil, herbs, tomatoes, or olives. Historians tend to believe it was invented either by the Etruscans or in ancient Greece, although unleavened flatbreads have long been made throughout the Middle East.
The name focaccia is derived from the Roman panis focacius, meaning “hearth bread”, referring to the fact that focaccia was traditionally baked in coals in Roman times. The basic recipe spread to France and Spain over time, where the bread is known as fouaisse and hogaza, respectively.
MOST ICONIC Focaccia
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This traditional Sicilian focaccia is an oven-baked flatbread topped with an oregano-flavored tomato sauce made with the addition of onions, anchovies, breadcrumbs, and local cheeses such as caciocavallo, provolone, tuma, or ricotta. Sfincione is one of the island's favorite street foods, especially in Palermo, where street vendors are often seen driving around in their three-wheeled Piaggio Ape food trucks shouting "Scairsu r'uogghiu e chin'i pruvulazzu" (lit. little oil and lots of dust), referring to the crusty breadcrumb topping.
The name sfincione is derived from the Arab word asfanaj and Greek sfoungári, both meaning sponge, which this flatbread resembles in appearance and texture.
MOST ICONIC Sfincione
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Cassatelle or casateddi are deep-fried Italian pastries that consist of a sugary filling enclosed within two thin layers of dough, which is enriched with white wine or Marsala. Often considered to be the sweet version of ravioli pasta, cassatelle originated in the Sicilian province of Trapani, where they are still traditionally prepared with a lemon-flavored filling that combines ricotta cheese and chocolate drops.
Apart from the traditional version, different varieties of this classic treat are widespread across Sicily. The most popular ones include cassatelle Agira, prepared with a cocoa-and-almond filling, and different varieties are made with pumpkin, figs, or chickpeas.