arancini

The golden spheres that are the emblem of Sicily: orange-sized rice balls (ideally flavoured with saffron) with a meat and vegetable stew at the center, or else tomato and cheese filling, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. They are similar to the Roman suppli. White arancini are sold in bars, little ones, arancinette, are sold in bakeries and served as antipasti in restaurants.

Arancini have a history; some say they go as far back as the Arabs in the 10th century, or the court of that most remarkable King of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II.

The Sagra dell’Arancino takes place for two days in early September in Aci Castello, near Catania.

In Le Marche, arancini are a Carnival pastry made with orange zest, fried and rolled into spirals. If made with lemon, they are limoncini; another name is fichette.