Sicily / Enjoy It!
How Sweet it is

How about a big pastry shell stuffed with ice cream for breakfast? Sicily is well known for its confections. These Italians just love sweets! Gelato. Cannolis. Cassata. And Marzipan.

Marzipan is a traditional Sicilian treat. The name itself has a long history, dating back to the Middle Ages. Marzipan is a German word, although most agree the candy originated in Italy. When we requested marzipan in some parts of Sicily, we weren't understood.

Frutta di Martorana is another term for this soft paste candy with almonds & sugar the primary ingredients. Traditionally, the frutta is made during the week preceding the commemoration for "All the Dead" and "All the Saints" festivals in the beginning of November. It's the best time to see marzipan window displays in all their colorful glory.

On these occasions, children are greeted by baskets full of frutta di martorana & other sweets when they wake up in the morning. Something like an Easter basket. But instead of the Easter bunny, sweets are left next to their beds by the souls of their ancestors.

But what is it about marzipan that captures our attention? The artisan's touch makes it visually irresistible. Candy masters & talented housewives hand-sculpt the pliable dough into traditional shapes. Mostly fruits & vegetables. But other shapes, like fish & seashells are charming, too. Some marzipan is made with plaster molds, like little lambs, served up on paper plates. These represent sacrificial rites for Easter. Whatever shape, the candy is artistically painted with natural dyes that look drop dead real (the good ones anyway).

Certainly of tourist appeal, Sicilians now offer this confection as a mass produced souvenir all year round. Marzipan appears in storefront windows of pasticceries & in gourmet food shops in the more touristed areas. Generally speaking, the less touristed the area, the better marzipan you will find, as far as taste & freshness.

Many times what you buy is inferior and/or stale. Look for individual pieces and ask when it was made...is it "fatto in casa?" Is it homemade? Some candy is best left as a window display! Little wrapped baskets filled with marzipan, en mass on a shop table, is just what you should avoid. Remember to buy it just before you go home, since it doesn't last more than a week. That's another reason to buy it really, really fresh.

Palermo, where the Martorana nuns made some of the earliest marzipan, is the best area of Sicily to try it. Check out the pastry shop Alba on Piazza don Bosco, for a very fresh piece. What does it taste like? Very dense & very rich. We were served a tiny slice of a marzipan apple after dinner one night. One slice was a perfectly sweet ending to a delightful Sicilian meal.