Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
PALERMO / SYRACUSE – In Sicily, 2 November, the Feast of the Dead, is not just a moment of remembrance and devotion but a true family ritual celebrated above all at the table. An ancient tradition that weaves the cult of the dead with peasant culture, giving rise to emblematic dishes that vary from province to province.
From western to eastern Sicily, the table for the Commemoration of the Dead offers a variety of simple traditional dishes and spiced sweets born in monasteries and the island’s old pastry shops.
From Palermo’s muffolette to broad bean stew in the Syracuse area
The breakfast and lunch on 2 November feature simple ingredients tied to the land, wheat and legumes:
- The Palermitan muffoletta: In Palermo and its province the day traditionally begins with the muffoletta, a soft, spongy loaf sprinkled with sesame. It is served hot “a sfincione” (with tomato sauce, onion, oregano and caciocavallo cheese) or in the classic version with new oil, salt, pepper, oregano and anchovies in oil.
- Broad bean stew in the Syracuse and Ragusa areas: In south-eastern Sicily the symbolic dish of the day is maccu di fave (dried broad beans cooked in a stew with wild fennel). According to popular belief, broad beans were considered the symbolic link between the world of the living and that of the dead, to be eaten together as a sign of family unity.
The sweets of memory: Frutta Martorana, Pupaccena and rame di Napoli
There is no 2 November without the traditional sweets given to children, left “as a gift” during the night by departed relatives:
- Frutta Martorana: Born in the Martorana monastery in Palermo, the marzipan made from almonds and sugar is modelled and hand-painted to faithfully reproduce fruits, vegetables and all kinds of food.
- Sugar puppets (Pupaccena): Hollow sugar statuettes painted in bright colours depicting knights, ladies or traditional figures.
- Rame di Napoli (Catania): In the Catania area, the soft cocoa biscuits stand out, covered with a dark chocolate glaze and pistachio grains, whose recipe dates back to the time of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
- Ossa di Morto and scardellini: Crunchy, spiced biscuits made with cloves and cinnamon, with a characteristic hard texture and white surface colour that recalls the shape of bones.
A unique culinary heritage that continues to renew itself year after year, keeping the cultural identity and affection for one’s roots alive.
