Get ready to jump into the most special ice cream parlors in Sicily … !!
Let’s understand first that summer on this island begins by mid April and soon comes in the air seabreeze, sand, sun screen … and ice cream or gelato!!
Cone, cup, croissant or round brioches it does not matter; What is really important is that it has to be totally freshly prepared and made!
Sicily can boast delicious gelato anywhere from western to eastern coast. If you are travelling I can guarantee you will be always fully satisfied with the Yumminess of our gelato.
Any example ?
Have you ever thought to go to an ice cream parlor to taste a good creamy beer gelato ???
Here you go…
“At Gelatone”, in Palermo, you can do !! But not only …
Would you like a fresh salad? Ice cream celery is waiting for you!
You were not able to eat your beloved pasta with tomato sauce at lunch? Very well!!
A nice Brioches with your flavored tomato gelato will be filled up for you!
And more…Are you an onion lover? Don’t we love to chop it and add or cook in any good sauce? Great! Have a Tropea onion gelato for you !!! Tropea is a nice fishing village in Calabria, where they cultivate a red onion, considered a local delicacy.
Are you running out of sugar and need some good memories from your childhood? You are not a baby, but you still love to eat “Plasmon biscuits” left over from your little child your wife is feeding? Have a good “Plasmon biscotti” gelato! It is a biscuit still popular in Italy since it is healthy and does not contain gluten to be ingested by babies. Let’s cross the finger and let’s hunt for them! Plasmon is not the only gluten free biscuit we will find anyway. Great bonus for those who can be dietary picky or a bit demanding.
More traditional but not so extravagant, the ice cream parlor of Cafe Sicilia located in Noto (town in the province of Siracusa)
We find flavors like fine spices, saffron and almonds and even nougat or “torrone” in local Sicilian language. The traditional recipe and mix of ingredients in torrone are a bit reviewed and revisited. A must try! Watch out your wallet: it can be a bit pricy…
Are you not still satisfied?
Let’s continue along the eastern coast of the island, in Ragusa Ibla. “Gelati Divini” is the name of this quite original place which means divine gelati (ice creams..). The word “Divini” in Italian has actually a double meaning: divine like in English and DI-VINI which literally means ice creams made of wines…
Here you go! Rosé, nero d’Avola, sweet red spumante, Marsala wine and last but not least olive oil gelato!
Maybe you can spread it on a good piece of local bread. Other traditional flavours can be found and the onion once again…Not from Tropea, but from Giarratana, a local small farming town where a white big sweet onion is cultivated and considered another yummy delicacy from Sicily! Beside the wine, olive and onion gelato don’t miss the carob gelato, a famous local long bean which grows also in California and used to replace chocolate powder in America.
In the province of Messina in Capo D’orlando, at Delicious Cafe, you can taste the Nebrodi mountains hazelnuts, whose fruit shape is perfectly round and spreads out an irresistible aroma after beeing well toasted. Among the other nuts you can go…nut for their pistachio and almond gelato.
Let’s move now in the beautiful Taormina, also in the province of Messina.
At “Gelatomania” parlor you can find a teacher a master of gelato making. His Hands make “Setteveli” (seven layers of chocolate), Sicilian Cassata and then the fruits: mango and passion fruit.
Next stop is the little medieval town of Randazzo, the gelato parlor bears the name of his owner “Santo Musumeci”.
His flavours have got countless awards, but what is really original and somehow shocking is the list of the fantasy names chosen: “Afrociok”, “strophic”, “superextrastrawberryway”…, “yes, but…”grandma forever”.
I would really recommend you my must which is “Pirandello” (almond, lemon zest and crunchy almond). By far judged best taste according to the gelato academy of “Sherbeth”, the homemade ice cream festival held in Cefalù – Sicily – in 2011.
Are we all ready to gain some extra pounds that we will lose simply walking along the streets on this beautiful island ?