The rugged, sun-drenched island of Sicily is tucked under Italy’s boot-shaped peninsula, like a stepping stone between Europe and Africa. It’s not just the Strait of Messina that sets Sicily apart from mainland Italy, however. The island’s enviable position on the sparkling Mediterranean Sea meant it once sat at the crossroads of ancient civilisations.
Centuries of conquests have left a magnificent mosaic of cultures, from ancient Greek and Roman roots, to North African, Arab, Norman and Spanish influences. Sicily’s culinary heritage has benefitted from its tumultuous past. Almost 3,000 years of foreign interlopers brought recipes from far and wide plus exotic produce to its shores, triumphantly melding over millennia into what we now know as Sicilian cuisine.
Sicily flourished with its own distinct identity, as the locals will gladly tell you “We’re Sicilian first, Italian second”.
Along with the natural advantages of an idyllic climate, lava-rich soil bestowed by Mount Etna and the freshest seafood, Sicily
