The Sicilian Arancini

Sicily and street food are synonymous and the arancini is the king of them all!

Arancini are deep-fried, breaded rice balls with delicious fillings.

The name arancini is inspired by their typically round shape and golden colour resembling small oranges. In Italian arance means 'oranges' and arancini means 'little oranges'.

In and around Sicily’s capital Palermo, on the northwest of the island, arancini are round. If they are from Catania and the Eastern seaboard they are normally cone-shaped symbolising Mt Etna.

Arancini can also vary in size. When served as antipasti they are small bite-size morsels but their standard size is a light meal.

The origins of arancini are linked to Sicily’s history under Arab rule in the 9th to 11th centuries. The Arabs introduced rice particularly the short grain variety well-suited for risotto. Saffron was also introduced which provided the golden colour of early arancini. These two ingredients lay the foundations for the arancini.

In its early stages arancini were a practical meal for workers and travellers as the cooked rice could be formed into a portable durable snack. It is thought that it was at this stage that they were coated in breadcrumbs to help with their preservation.

Over time the recipe evolved to include delicious fillings such as ragu (beef, pork or veal sauce), peas, ham and cheese. In more recent years more creative sweet fillings have also emerged such as pistachio and chocolate.

The Saint Lucia Festival is celebrated annually on 13th December. Lucia lived in Syracuse in the 3rd century and was martyred under Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians. One of the miracles attributed was the provision of wheat at the end of a period of famine. To remember this no bread or pasta is served but only arancini.

A practical tip for eating cone-shaped Arancini, pick it up by the point and turn it upside down so you can eat from the base to the point. In this way, the Arancini holds together.

Arancini are available in almost every cafe so go enjoy!

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