10 Things I love about Sicily

Emilia Strazzanti, co-founder of the Strazzanti shop and supper club, tells us what makes the food of Sicily so special to her and her family

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Emilia and her two sisters, Nina and Sofia, opened Strazzanti in London's Fitzrovia to celebrate their Sicilian and Neopolitan heritage. Emilia has worked as a chef specialising in pastry in Paris, Milan and Sicily but returned to London to help set up the family business. It started life as a shop before diversifying into a wholesale business supplying the likes of Selfridges and Bar Termini, and now hosts a supper club as well. In 2020, Strazzanti also started offering cooking kits called Il Piccolo Pacchetto - the little parcel. strazzanti.co

1 Eating history

At various times Sicily has been ruled by many other powers that brought their cuisines and cultures - that's left an imprint on Sicilian life and food. You'll witness it in dishes such pasta con le sarde, jewelled with raisins - a rich Arabic influence. From dishes that are salata (salty) and dolci (sweet), to piccante (hot), Sicily's cuisine as a whole has no strict definition - it draws on all its cultural past.

2 Pasta alla norma

Named in honour of the native Catanian Vincenzo Bellini, who composed the opera Norma in the 19th century - he enjoyed pasta dishes made with much-loved aubergines. It's a must-try.

3 Capers

When it rains, the air is filled with the saline notes of the caper plants that grow up and around the rocks that dot the outskirts of towns. You breathe a scent of fresh, vibrant salinity. It's these capers that we cook into many of our dishes.

4: Arancina or arancino?