L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2026 L'Italo-Americano W h i l e D e c e m - b e r i s c o n s i d - e r e d t h e festive month par excellence, t h a n k s t o C h r i s t m a s , November has its own cele- brations, festivals, anniver- saries, and traditions. The month begins with All Saints' Day on November 1, followed by All Souls' Day, when fami- l i e s v i s i t c e m e t e r i e s t o remember their loved ones, b r i n g i n g f l o w e r s t o t h e i r graves. But pastry shops are equally busy, because these occasions also call for tradi- t i o n a l s w e e t s m a d e w i t h pasta reale, or almond paste. A m o n g t h e f a v o r i t e s i s frutta martorana, color- f u l m a r z i p a n s h a p e d i n t o fruit, which brings a little sweetness to an otherwise solemn occasion. Children traditionally receive gifts left overnight by their deceased grandparents, and there are treats for everyone, including dried fruit, known in Sicilian as scacciu, and pupe di zuc- caro, sugar figures repre- s e n t i n g t h e h e r o e s o f m e d i e v a l e p i c p o e m s , t h e same characters brought to l i f e i n S i c i l y ' s t r a d i t i o n a l puppet theater, the Opera dei Pupi. Around Catania, a n o t h e r s p e c i a l t y h a s a rather unsettling name: ossa d i m o r t o , o r d e a d m e n ' s bones. Fortunately, these sweets are more enjoyable than their name suggests, although their extraordinary hardness might prove dan- gerous to a tooth or two. A few days later, Novem- b e r 1 1 b r i n g s t h e f e a s t o f Saint Martin, remembered for sharing his cloak with a b e g g a r . A s t h e o l d s a y i n g goes, a San Martino ogni m o s t o è v i n o – b y S a i n t Martin's Day, every grape must has become wine. The occasion marks the end of the grape harvest and the arrival of vino novello, the young wine enjoyed through- out Sicily. From Trapani to Ragusa, Messina to Palermo, the countryside celebrates a product that remains central to the island's economy. S i c i l i a n w i n e s a r e appreciated worldwide, and much of their historical suc- cess is associated with the Florio family, whose pro- d u c t i o n o f M a r s a l a w i n e helped make it an interna- t i o n a l f a v o r i t e . M a r s a l a offered British drinkers an a l t e r n a t i v e t o t h e m o r e expensive fortified wines imported from the Iberian Peninsula, and eventually became a symbol of Sicily's commercial success. Special flat-bottomed vessels were even built around Trapani to transport merchandise, par- ticularly wine, through the s h a l l o w w a t e r s n e a r Marsala. The historic Florio winery can still be visited today. N o v e m b e r a l s o b r i n g s numerous food festivals. C a p a c i , n e a r P a l e r m o , recently celebrated vasted- da, a delicate fresh cheese traditionally enjoyed with b r e a d . T h e t o w n i s s a d l y remembered for the 1992 bombing that killed Judge Giovanni Falcone, his wife F r a n c e s c a M o r v i l l o , a n d three members of his escort, Vito Schifani, Rocco Dicillo, and Antonio Montinaro.In Cesarò, in the heart of the Nebrodi Mountains, the fes- tival held from November 7 to 15 celebrates two local specialties: black pigs, an indigenous breed raised out- doors, and porcini mush- rooms gathered in the sur- r o u n d i n g f o r e s t s . C h e s t n u t s , p e r h a p s t h e quintessential autumn fruit, are celebrated in Ragalna, near Catania, Castell'Umber- to, in the province of Messi- n a , a n d M o n r e a l e , n e a r Palermo. Montemaggiore Belsito, also in the Palermo area, dedicates its festivities to extra-virgin olive oil and the prized pizzuta almond, with markets and traditional performances. In Sant'Am- brogio, a mountain hamlet of Cefalù, the strawberry tree has enjoyed its own fes- tival for six years. Its fruit, once familiar but now rarely found on Sicilian tables, is also associated with a dis- tinctive, slightly bitter honey that visitors can taste during t h e c e l e b r a t i o n s . S a n t a Ninfa, in the Belice Valley n e a r T r a p a n i , c e l e b r a t e s sheep meat, an important part of local pastoral culture, traditionally served along- side pane cunzato, bread filled with cheese and cured m e a t s . C o l l e s a n o , m e a n - while, shows its cheesemak- ing traditions with tastings o f c a c i o c a v a l l o , p r o v o l a , r i c o t t a , a n d p e c o r i n o , a c c o m p a n i e d b y w a r m bread, honey, and Sicilian wines. Another beloved spe- cialty is sfincione, Paler- m o ' s f a m o u s s o f t , t h i c k f o c a c c i a t o p p e d w i t h anchovies, tuma cheese, and onions. More than a popular street food, it represents a local culinary tradition cele- brated through festivals that a l s o f e a t u r e f o l k p e r f o r - mances and cultural events. In Agira, in the province of Enna, the fourteenth edition of the Cassatella Festival honors a crescent-shaped p a s t r y f i l l e d w i t h c o c o a , a l m o n d s , c h i c k p e a f l o u r , lemon zest, and, for those who enjoy it, cinnamon. The eighth edition of Martin Fest celebrates the arrival of new w i n e , b r i n g i n g p e o p l e together for tastings, local food, and traditional activi- ties. The opening of the wine b a r r e l s h a s l o n g b e e n a n occasion for communities to gather, and these celebra- t i o n s k e e p t h a t t r a d i t i o n alive. For younger genera- tions, they offer an opportu- n i t y t o d i s c o v e r c u s t o m s handed down over time; for older residents, they bring b a c k f a m i l i a r m e m o r i e s . Together, they express the hospitality and strong sense o f c o m m u n i t y t h a t h a v e always characterized Sicily. Yet November in Sicily i s n o t e x c l u s i v e l y a b o u t w i n e , c h e s t n u t s , m u s h - rooms, and traditional dish- es. The island also has a dis- t i n g u i s h e d p l a c e i n t h e history of gelato, thanks in part to Francesco Proco- pio Cutò, the Sicilian who opened the Café Procope in P a r i s i n 1 6 8 6 a n d h e l p e d introduce sorbet to Euro- pean audiences. This year, Sicily hosts the eighteenth e d i t i o n o f t h e S h e r b e t h Festival, four days dedicat- ed to artisanal gelato and the knowledge, techniques, and ingredients behind its pro- duction. Visitors can taste creations by master gelato makers while learning about the territories and traditions that contribute to their work. The festival also presents the annual Francesco Procopio Cutò Award, named in his honor and given to the cre- ator of the most innovative a n d o r i g i n a l n e w f l a v o r . T h e r e i s n o p r e s c r i b e d theme, leaving competitors free to experiment, while a panel of master gelato mak- ers evaluates their creations. Perhaps a gelato festival s e e m s u n e x p e c t e d i n N o v e m b e r , w h e n w i n e , chestnuts, and mushrooms are more closely associated with the season. Yet some- t h i n g i s a p p e a l i n g a b o u t recalling the pleasures of summer through a refresh- ing sorbet or granita. For f o u r d a y s , f r o m m o r n i n g until late evening, visitors can taste, compare, and dis- cover new flavors while gain- ing an understanding of the preparation, research, and production processes behind a r t i s a n a l g e l a t o . I t i s a n event for adults and children alike, and an opportunity to appreciate how something as familiar as a frozen dessert can also introduce us to new knowledge, traditions, and experiences. TERESA DI FRESCO In Sicily, November tastes of marzipan and new wine, with room for gelato LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Sicily's colorful pupe di zuccaro reproduce the knights and heroes familiar from the island's Opera dei Pupi, and remain closely associated with the Festa dei Morti; inset: each figure is finished by hand, with the elaborate costumes and bright colors that give the sugar paladins their distinctive appearance (Original images created for L'Italo-Americano with the assistance of AI)

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