10 Mouthwatering Dishes To Try In Palermo, Sicily

Palermo is one of the best destinations in Sicily, with incredible monuments from many centuries ago, churches, the sea, medieval neighborhoods, Arabic gardens, food markets, and especially, its delicious food. The city might not be that big, but its street food, unique Sicilian recipes, and unique delicacies make for that in spades.

Sicily has been part of many different empires over the centuries (Greek, Arab, and Italian), giving it a unique cultural and historic mix from which its food takes its knowledge and taste. Be it seafood, meat, pasta, small eats, or desserts, Palermo has something for everyone and every kind of palate. Without further ado, here are 10 mouthwatering dishes you can try in Palermo, Sicily.

10 Pani ca Meusa

Its name would be translated as “bread with spleen,” and that’s exactly what it is. Strongly flavored, this sandwich is made by boiling cow spleen and other non-typical parts of the animal like the lung and the trachea, and then frying them in lard. It’s then mixed with a sauce made with garlic, chili peppers, and white wine. Although it might be a bit strong, it is one of those dishes that's only in Sicily, and as such, it’s worth the experience.

9 Panelle

These chickpea fritters are one of the best street food snacks you can find in Palermo. There’s also a version called panino con le panelle where the chickpea fritters are sandwiched between two slices of bread, with fresh lemon squeezed on top. This vegetarian-friendly option, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, is one of the better meals if you’re only staying in Palermo for a day or two and must eat while discovering the many things this town has to offer.

8 Caponata

One of the healthiest options on this list, caponata is a vegetarian’s dream. Made with eggplant, tomatoes, onions, olives, celery, capers, and many other vegetables is one of the best appetizers to eat on the island. One of the Sicilian dishes with the most obvious Arab influences in Sicily, this antipasto is both sweet and sour and served cold in the hot Palermo summers. Each restaurant gives its own spin to caponata, but what’s for sure is that if people are looking for a healthy, delicious, non-meaty dish to eat in the city, this is a winner.

7 Sarde a Beccafico

A traditional Sicilian dish that has fed the people of this island over centuries, this recipe is all about sardines. They stuff them with a unique mix of pine nuts, currants, garlic, anchovies, and bread crumbs, and then it’s baked until it gets a golden brown color. The recipe combines sweet and savory flavors and has a surprisingly unique taste. One of the best places to taste in Palermo is at Osteria Mangia e Bevi: L.go dei Cavalieri di Malta, 18, 90133, Palermo.

6 Pasta con le Sarde

There are many romantic restaurants for dinner in Sicily, and most of them serve pasta con le sarde. This dish of Arabic origin uses a unique combination of ingredients to create a flavorful surprising meal with salted anchovies, fresh sardines, fennel, pine nuts, raisins, saffron, and saffron. The combination might look wild, but it’s been perfect over centuries, and the contrast between the many flavors is what makes it such a winner. This dish and its many variants are found all over the island, although it's in Palermo where it originated, and can be found in almost every restaurant in town.

5 Sfincione

Sfincione is the Sicilian answer to mainland pizza. The name is derived from the Latin and Greek word for “sponge,” as this is the best way to explain the dish's soft consistency. Visually it might look more to Foccacia than to pizza; it's cut into thick rectangular squares and topped with tomato sauce, onions, anchovies, and caciocavallo cheese. One of the most delicious street foods on the island, there are as many sfincione variants as people cook it.

4 Arancini

Arancina might be the Sicilian cousin of the Spanish croquettes, as both are fried small bites. This Sicilian rice balls version is filled with rice and whatever the cook decides, from meat, cheese, or peas. Arancina is the perfect street food to snack on in the city without sitting at a restaurant, and visitors will find it almost anywhere in Palermo. The name comes from the fact that they look like little oranges and have been a Sicilian delicatessen as far back as the 7th Century, and it even has its patron saint, Santa Lucia.

3 Cassata

This traditional dessert might be a sugar bomb, but it’s worth it. Made with ricotta cheesecake, candied fruit, chocolate, and marzipan, this dish shows all the Palermo sweetness in cake form. The dessert it’s usually presented with Arabian-inspired patterns, showing where the idea for this dish might’ve come from. It’s not easy to make, and sometimes it's reserved for special occasions like weddings and holidays, but it would be a shame to go to Palermo and not try a piece of it.

2 Pasta alla Norma

There are many Italian delicacies to try, and pasta alla norma should be one of them. Named after the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini, this dish might be simple, but the best vegetables in Palermo make it a must-eat here. The pasta is made with eggplant, tomato sauce, herbs, basil, and ricotta cheese that gives it a creamy texture, making it a perfect, easy, delicious, nutritious lunch meal to get carbs energy before continuing to visit this beautiful city.

1 Canolli

This tube-shaped fried crispy shell filled with ricotta and some orange peel might be reason enough to come to Sicily, as it was here where it was born, making it one of the many reasons why you should add Sicily to your dream Italian vacation list. Canolli might not be what Italians have for breakfast every day, but it’s one of the most eaten desserts, as some of the bakeries that make them have been there for generations. Once visitors have tried the ricotta classic Canollo, you can start experimenting with other flavors like pistachio or orange.