Flavours of Sicily

Flavours of Sicily: a three day gastronomic weekend
Between 6 and 10 participants

COST PER PERSON: € 375.00

Sicily has a strong culinary identity. Although Sicilian gastronomy is undoubtedly Mediterranean, it cannot be understood without referring to the culinary traditions of the various people who have come to rule this island of great strategic importance, through the centuries. The blending of cultures that the successive waves of dominant powers produced resulted in an original cuisine with North African, Roman, French and Spanish influences. If a great many dishes are based on local products, particularly sea products such as sword fish, tuna and anchovies, most seeds and spices were brought by different civilisations. The same can be said for Sicily’s wines. Its production began with the first Greek colonizers. Today, Sicily is one of the largest wine growing regions of Italy and produces a wide range of wines from the flavoured reds of the Etna region to the light and delicate whites of the western plains. Although Sicily is certainly a land of food, it is also a land rich with art and architecture. Thanks to the many civilisations that had turned Sicily into a powerful and prosperous colony, the island now boasts an impressive range of art and architectural treasures, well-preserved Doric temples, extraordinary byzantine mosaics, Norman cathedrals, and exuberantly decorated palaces and churches.

Gastronomic tour itinerary

Day 1 – Guided tour of Palermo’s markets and their churches; discovering Palermo’s traditional “street foods”.

Day 2 – Cooking class and lunch at the historical Villa Messeri, Porticello.

Day 3 – Wine degustation and lunch at Tasca d’Almerita Wine Estate.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1

9.30 -12.30: Guided tour of Palermo’s markets and their churches. Indulge in the city’s ‘street food’!

You will discover:

The city’s historic markets, their popular atmosphere and sensuality and the ingredients of Sicilian cuisine.
Palermo’s famous street food, an authentic and popular cuisine. You will savour: Arancine (fried rice balls filled with either meat ragù, béchamel, ham or butter), sfincione (deep pan pizza with fresh tomato sauce, onions, anchovies and cheese), pane e pannelle (fried chickpea flour pancakes seasoned with lemon juice) and many others specialties. Some of Palermo’s most interesting churches, which are no less rich than the fresh local products displayed on the city’s market stalls. We will visit Santa Maria del Carmine and Casa Professa in Ballaro, and S. Agostino and L’Immacolata Concezione in the Capo: all are sumptuous Baroque churches decorated by some of the most famous Sicilian artists.

Free afternoon. We will provide you with information on the various places of interest that you may wish to visit such as the Cathedral and the Palatine Chapel.

Day 2

12.30-15.3: Cooking class and lunch at Villa Messeri

You will take part in a three hours interactive cooking class in a Villa ‘Liberty’ that is located right by the sea at Porticello, about 30 km from Palermo.

Marta Messeri is one of Palermo’s rising chefs and is mentioned in this year Slow Food Osteria Guide. Both Marta and Chef Daniel Marchese will guide you through the preparation of original Sicilian dishes. Amateurs of seafood will be pleased, for Marta and Daniel live by the sea in Porticello, and use fresh products of the day, which they get directly from fishermen at the port. The menu depends on the fish of the day.

As an example, you may prepare and enjoy the following menu:

Antipasto: Cruidité of red shrimp on fresh salad leaves and citrus fruit
Primi: Tartar of mackerel and fresh tomatoes and tortino of marinated anchovies with fennel and oranges.
Secondi: Maltagliati pasta with sautéed mullet, wild fennel shoots, tenerubi (local green) raisins and toasted almonds – Spaghetti with wild asparagus, artichokes and shrimp sautéed in white wine.
Dolce: Cannolo scomposto (elaboration on the traditional Sicilian cannoli with ricotta)

Wines predominantly served: White wines: Grillo (with the primi), Cataratto secco, Bianco d’Alcamo or Etna Bianco. Red wines: Nero d’Avola, Etna Rosso, Cerasuolo di Vittoria or Frappato Syrah. Sweet wines: Moscato, Marsala, Zibibbo, Passito.

After lunch, you can take a digestive walk in the villa’s enchanting garden, and/or by the sea.

Transport: We will travel to and from Villa Messeri by train, for it is fast (the traffic in and around Palermo is often extremely dense) and ecological. The villa is a 10mn walk from the station, through the village of Porticello.
Return to Palermo by 16:30-17:00

Day 3

Wine degustation and lunch at Tasca d’Almerita Wine Estate (a different wine estate may be selected for groups of less than 6 people)

You will spend the day at Tasca d’Almerita, one of the premier wineries of the island. Their portfolio of wines, both red and white, is truly impressive, and include the Regaleali white and the Regaleali Nero d’Avola, named after a native Sicilian grape. The day includes:

A guided visit of the wine cellar and a welcome aperitif.
A wine degustation with an accompanying lunch. Following the welcome aperitif, the wine degustation will begin with a Brut Almerita served with some typical Sicilian antipasti, and two white wines accompanied by two primi will follow. Two red wines will then be served with various typical side-dishes. The degustation will end with cannoli and café. This succulent lunch, prepared solely with products grown in azienda, is certain to open your eyes to local gastronomy.

Transport: We will reach the wine estate by minivan. The trip offers a spectacular view of vineyards, fields of olive and almond trees, and the mountain ranges to the East.

Return to Palermo at around 16H30. End of the weekend.

For an itinerary with minimal carbon footprint, though a fair amount of walking is involved, participants can take a train to the estate. The walk from the train station to the estate is about 20-30mn.

Price of the weekend per person: € 375.00

The prices given above include:
-          Guided visits to Palermo’s markets and their baroque churches led by an academic
-          Saturday, Sunday and Monday lunches
-          Monday wine degustations and visit of the wine cellar
-          A cooking class at Villa Messeri
-          Transport, organisation and booking costs.

The price of the weekend excludes accomodation, air fare and transfers, although we can offer advice on all the latter.

Contact us to book your private gastronomy tour in Sicily. We will let you know about our availabilities and answer any questions you may have.