Top 26 Traditional Foods
in the Metropolitan City of Catania

Etna Island Srl is an olive oil producer located in Nicolosi, a town situated on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. The company specializes in producing extra virgin olive oil, utilizing local olive varieties. Their products emphasize high standards of quality and traceability, and they engage in sustainable farming practices.Expand

Tenuta delle Terre Nere is a renowned winery located on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy. With over forty years of experience in the fine wine industry, the estate is dedicated to producing wines that purely express the refined and multifaceted microcosm of the Etna region. Tenuta delle Terre Nere practices organic farming, emphasizing meticulous vineyard care to achieve ideal ripening conditions. This approach ensures that minimal intervention is needed in the cellar, allowing the inherent qualities of the grapes and their specific microclimates to shine through in the wines. The winery is particularly noted for its production of Etna Rosso and Etna Bianco wines, primarily utilizing indigenous grape varieties such as Nerello Mascalese and Carricante. Among their esteemed vineyards is a parcel in Contrada Calderara Sottana, home to vines over 140 years old that survived the phylloxera epidemic, offering a unique expression of the Nerello Mascalese grape. Expand

Girolamo Russo is a winery located in the village of Passopisciaro, on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy. Re-established in 2005 by Giuseppe Russo in memory of his father, Girolamo, the winery embodies Giuseppe's commitment to preserving his family's traditional values while introducing innovative winemaking approaches. The estate spans approximately 15 hectares of vineyards, situated between 650 and 780 meters above sea level, interspersed with hazelnut and olive groves. The vineyards are cultivated organically, employing traditional methods that have allowed these ancient vineyards, many over a century old, to thrive. Girolamo Russo produces a range of wines under the Etna DOC designation, including reds, whites, and rosés. Their red wines are primarily made from the Nerello Mascalese grape, often blended with Nerello Cappuccio, while their white wines feature Carricante and other indigenous varieties. Visitors can arrange tours and tastings by appointment, offering an opportunity to experience the unique terroir and winemaking philosophy of Girolamo Russo. Expand

Cantine Murgo 1860 is a family estate in Sicily located on the slopes of Mount Etna, in Santa Venerina. The Scammacca family has managed the estate for generations, combining winemaking and olive growing with a strong focus on quality and authenticity. In addition to its renowned wines, Murgo also produces extra virgin olive oil from the native Nocellara dell’Etna variety. The olives are harvested by hand, mainly from late September to late October, when the fruit is not yet fully ripe, resulting in an oil rich in polyphenols and notable freshness. Processing takes place the same day through cold pressing, preserving both the nutritional value and sensory complexity. Murgo oils are distinguished by their green-golden color and pronounced herbal and fruity aromas, with nuances of artichoke, tomato, and fresh grass. On the palate, they reveal a balance of bitterness and spiciness, characteristic of oils from volcanic terroirs. The oil is stored in stainless steel tanks, with part of the production kept unfiltered to maintain its natural qualities. The family tradition, the deep connection to Etna’s soil, and careful production methods give their products a distinctive signature. Today, the brand stands as one of the ambassadors of Sicilian excellence, bridging local heritage with modern agricultural practices. In this way, Murgo not only produces oil and wine but also conveys the culture and identity of its region through every product.Expand

Barone di Villagrande is a historic family-owned winery located on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna, near the village of Milo in Sicily, with winemaking roots dating back to the 18th century. The estate has remained in the hands of the Nicolosi Asmundo family for generations and is considered one of the pioneers in the modern development of Etna wines. Vineyards are planted at high altitudes on volcanic soils rich in minerals, which contribute to the wines’ freshness, structure, and complexity. The winery focuses primarily on indigenous grape varieties such as Carricante for white wines and Nerello Mascalese for reds, both of which express the distinctive character of Etna’s terroir. The wines are typically defined by vibrant acidity, elegance, and a pronounced mineral profile, with white wines showing notes of citrus, herbs, and volcanic ash, and reds offering red berry fruit, spice, and earthy nuances. Production follows sustainable practices with careful vineyard management and minimal intervention in the cellar. Barone di Villagrande is particularly known for its Etna Bianco wines, which have notable aging potential and develop layered complexity over time. In addition to winemaking, the estate also offers an enotourism experience, allowing visitors to explore the vineyards and immerse themselves in the unique landscape of Mount Etna.Expand

Pietradolce is a family-owned winery founded in 2005 and located on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, in the village of Solicchiata near Castiglione di Sicilia. Its vineyards lie at elevations between approximately 650 and 950 meters above sea level, on highly mineral, lava-rich soils that strongly shape the character of the wines. Part of the estate is planted with very old, pre-phylloxera vines trained in the traditional alberello system, preserving an important element of Etna’s viticultural heritage. The winery focuses exclusively on native grape varieties: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio for red wines, and Carricante for whites. Winemaking follows a restrained, terroir-driven approach, with fermentations mainly in concrete tanks and aging carried out in carefully selected oak barrels housed in a cellar carved into volcanic rock. The wines are known for their precision, elegance, and pronounced mineral character, with reds showing notes of red berries, spice, ash, and floral nuances, and whites marked by citrus freshness, salinity, and tension. Pietradolce is widely regarded as one of the reference producers of Etna, valued for its faithful expression of site, altitude, and volcanic identity.Expand

This Sicilian classic is traditionally made with tomato sauce, eggplants, ricotta salata cheese, and fresh basil. The dish is said to be named in honor of La Norma, the famous opera composed by Vincenzo Bellini in 1831. According to legend, while he was working on the opera, Bellini frequented a local restaurant in Catania, where he would always order the same pasta dish. As an homage to the Catania-born composer, the restaurant’s owner decided to name the dish after his opera, suggesting the greatness of pasta alla Norma by comparing it to Bellini’s masterpiece.Expand

Minne di Sant’Agata, meaning the breasts of St. Agatha, is a dessert that hails from the city of Catania, where it has traditionally been prepared during the ancient annual festival held in honor of the city’s virgin saint patron, St. Agatha. Considered a smaller version of Sicilian cassata cake, minne di Sant’Agata consists of a semispherical shortcrust pastry filled with a combination of fresh sheep’s ricotta, dark chocolate, powdered sugar, and candied fruit. With a perfectly smooth, thick, pure white icing, and a bright red candied cherry placed in the middle, the dessert takes on a distinctive shape of female breasts that is supposed to evoke young St. Agatha’s breasts which, according to legend, were cruelly cut off as a punishment for her unwillingness to abandon faith. Some versions call for using a cassette-like sponge cake soaked in liquor instead of the buttery shortcrust pastry, which is then similarly filled with a ricotta-and-chocolate mixture before it is coated with pistachio marzipan and garnished with a red candied cherry, while other versions replace the ricotta filling with pastry cream. These beautiful and delicate small pastries are also commonly prepared throughout Sicily.Expand

Arancini alla Norma is a traditional variety of arancini originating from Catania, Sicily. These rice balls are stuffed with the ingredients that are used in a traditional dish called pasta alla Norma: tomato sauce with basil, eggplants, and ricotta cheese. The sauce for the filling is reduced and concentrated, and it's then stuffed into rice balls that are breaded and deep-fried in oil until golden and crunchy. Salt and pepper are standard seasonings, while garlic and butter are welcome additions to arancini alla Norma.Expand

Torta Savoia is a layered chocolate cake that hails from Sicily. It consists of several sponge layers coated in a rich chocolate hazelnut cream. The entire combination is covered with a glossy chocolate glaze, and in some variations, sponges are lightly soaked with rum. It is said that the cake was created when Sicily was merged with the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. The legend says that the Benedictine nuns from Catania thought of the recipe and included hazelnuts from Piedmont to honor the House of Savoy—hence the cake's name. This legend is still the most prominent, but some argue that the cake was a creation of a local pastry chef from Palermo who invented it when Victor Amadeus II, the Duke of Savoy, was crowned as the King of Sicily in 1713.Expand

Cartocciata is a traditional Sicilian street food originating from Catania and the area around Mount Etna. Visually, it looks similar to a small calzone pizza and consists of dough that's stuffed with various ingredients. The traditional version is stuffed with tomatoes and mozzarella, but there are also cartocciata varieties with ingredients such as ham, mushrooms, eggs, chips, salami, fried eggplant, or sausages.Expand

Nzuddi are traditional Italian cookies hailing from Catania and Messina. The cookies are made with a combination of flour, almonds, sugar, egg whites, cinnamon, ammonia, orange zest, and a bit of lemon juice. They are spherical-shaped and slightly flattened, and when baked they develop a deep golden color. Traditionally, nzuddi were prepared on June 3 for the feast of Madonna della Lettera in the Monastero di San Vincenzo. The name is derived from the nickname for Vincenzo (Vincinzuddu or 'nzuddu) in the Sicilian dialect. It's recommended to serve nzuddi with a glass of dessert wine or a cup of espresso.Expand

Pizza secca, meaning dry pizza, derives its name from the crunchy, crispy texture it develops once it’s baked. It is not a regular pizza but a type of schiacciatina, a very thin flatbread with a topping that resembles a pizza in visual appearance and flavor. Consisting of flour, water, olive oil, salt, and (sometimes) yeast, the dough is rolled out very thinly before it is cut into rectangular or square-shaped slices and brushed with a combination of tomato sauce, oregano, salt, and olive oil. The topping can also be enriched with other ingredients such as finely sliced onions, olives, eggplants, dry salami, or marinara sauce, while some versions may omit the tomato sauce altogether. Pizza secca is a specialty of the Sicilian town of Catania and the surrounding area, where it is available in almost every local bakery at any time of the day. Slices of this crunchy, pizza-like flatbread make for an excellent snack or an appetizer that can be enjoyed warm or chilled.Expand

Rame di Napoli are soft, chocolate-covered cookies hailing from the Sicilian city of Catania. They are typically made with a combination of sugar, milk, flour, crumbled biscuits or cookies, eggs, cocoa powder, butter, baking powder, honey, orange marmalade, cinnamon, cloves, and orange rind. Once baked, the cookies are covered with a mixture of melted dark chocolate and butter before being garnished with pistachios or other nuts such as hazelnuts. Different variations of these sweet biscuits call for using Nutella, pistachio cream, other fruit marmalades, or even stewed fruits and vegetables instead of the traditional orange marmalade. The name of these cookies means copper of Naples, and it is believed to derive from their intended resemblance to copper coins that used to be forged during the Bourbon Empire. In Catania, these delicious biscuits are traditionally enjoyed during All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day (Festa dei morti), and there are ready-made versions of the cookies available in almost all pastry shops during this time of the year.Expand

This country-style sourdough bread made with durum wheat dough, natural yeast, water, and salt is traditionally prepared in the Sicilian provinces of Enna and Catania. Thanks to the quality of wheat cultivated in the fertile plains of the Dittaino River, this delicious bread remains fresh for up to a week, keeping its delicate aroma and rich flavor. Dittaino bread is typically used for preparing bruschettas, but it is also a perfect accompaniment to Sicilian cheeses and charcuterie.Expand

Bersaglieri are traditional Sicilian cookies originating from Catania. The cookies are usually made with a combination of flour, cocoa, eggs, milk, lard, sugar, bakers' ammonia, vanilla, and salt. The flour is mixed with salt, ammonia, vanilla, lard, cocoa, sugar, and eggs. The dough is shaped into a ball and left to rest in the fridge. Small amounts of the dough are shaped into small loaves or finger shapes that are baked in the oven. Once cooled to room temperature, the cookies are glazed with a mixture of water, cocoa, and sugar. Once the glaze dries, bersaglieri are ready to be enjoyed. These cookies were named after Italian infantry corps, and they're popular around Halloween. Expand