Experience in Palermo not to be missed – Street food

Every city has its own attractions that can’t be missed by visitors. You can’t miss the Colosseum in Rome, nor the Ponte Vecchio when in Florence, and tell me…can you miss a walk through the alleys of Venice at night? You absolutely can’t.

Well, if you people come to Palermo, you definitely can’t miss a street food experience.

When I say “experience” I mean it. Because street food isn’t just food! Every single street specialty of Palermo will tell you a story, a legend or the entire history of the Mediterranean civilization. Here is a list of the 5 best street food specialties you can’t miss during your stay in Palermo.

Arancina

Fasten your belt, have a bite and get ready to travel straight to the past! Back to the 10th century, and welcome to the Islamic emirate of Sicily! The Arancina, whose name comes from the fruit “arancia” (orange), is a crunchy golden rice ball stuffed with minced meat and peas.

It was brought by the Arab colonization in the 10th century. The original recipe is now cooked only in Palermo and surroundings. You can find another variety of Arancina stuffed with “ragù”, (minced meat cooked in tomato sauce) in Catania and Messina. This variety is also known as “arancinO”, male version of the original “arancinA”.  Arancina must be eaten room temperature, never hot!

Pani ca’meusa 

This is one of the most shocking street food for tourists. I also call it the king of Palermitan street food. Simply delicious, with an extraordinary strong taste.

It consists of a mix of “meusa” (veal spleen), “polmone” (veal lungs) and “scannaruzzato” (veal throat gristle)  boiled, slighlty fried in pork fat, and finally served in a soft sandwich called “vastedda”. It’s sold by street vendors called “meusari” in the alleys of the city center. Pane ca meusa: You love it or you hate it…nothing in between.

We have two varieties: single (with lemon) and married (with ricotta cheese). It must be eaten hot.

Sfincione (from Latin: spongiam, “sponge”)

The sfincione is a very soft dough pizza sold in the streets of Palermo by the “sfincionari”. Very thick and soft, colored with tomato sauce and minced onion. This is the street food specialty that tourists usually like the most…and I’ll tell you why…because the sfincione has got the ability to catch your heart before delighting your palate.

The delicate taste of the sauce and the wonderful mildness of the dough are simply unique. We also have a homemade variety with an additional taste given by anchovies and “caciocavallo” cheese. Room temperature is ideal for sfincione.

Stigghiole

Before revealing what you get when you order stigghiole, I need to underline one important aspect of this amazing street food.

I love stigghiole for one main reason: the irresistible smell of the smoky barbecue coincides perfectly with the irresistible taste that you feel in your mouth.

Now…what’s stigghiole? Intestine of veal rolled around a barbecue stick, grilled, salted and served in a plate with a slice of lemon. A few drops of lemon can help you ease the raw taste of meat. Stigghiole must be eaten hot.

Pane e Panelle

Panelle are squared chickpea and parsley fried fritters and served in a sandwich.

Pane e Panelle (sandwich with panelle) is the main snack consumed by students during the mid-day break at school. Every school has got its own renowned “panellaro” waiting outside – ready to fry and quickly wrapping as much sandwiches as he can before the school bell rings again! Pane e panelle often has a welcome friend: cazzilli. Mashed potato croquette with parsley and mint. Pane, panelle e cazzilli…what a team!

BI comments: I don’t know about you but after reading this post, I swear I heard a grumble coming from my stomach. More reasons to plan another trip to Palermo.

Author’s Bio: Marco Romeo runs StrEat Palermo Tour together with his brother. For an authentic street food experience in Palermo check them out. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.