Cannoli

Cannoli is certainly the true emperor of Sicilian confectionery: a true symbol of the excellence of the island’s art of sweet-making, which has been listed by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy as a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT).

This sweet has ancient cultural roots. Its dialect name refers to the river reeds around which the dough was wrapped to create the wafer, and its preparation, the roots of which can be traced back to Arab culinary culture, was probably linked to the Carnival celebrations.

In a nutshell, cannoli are made from a thin sheet of dough, which is transformed into a wafer full of crunchy bubbles when it is fried in hot oil.

The fresh sheep’s milk ricotta – after being well drained – is blended with sugar and sometimes with chocolate chips, and the sweet filling is put into the wafer before eating. Decorations add the finishing touch to cannoli: chopped pistachios or candied fruit on top of the soft ricotta and, finally, a dusting of icing sugar.