Autumn Flavours in Sicily

At the same time, with the small village of Zafferana Etnea as our backdrop, treat yourself to a weekend of apples, mushrooms, honey and chestnuts.

You know it’s Autumn when you smell mushrooms (here’s where to taste them on the island). The star of Capizzi, in the province of Messina, is the Nebrodi truffle but the area’s also famous for the Nebrodi poricini mushrooms, the Capizzi provola, cheeses, buffalo mozzarella, typical desserts like ‘u cavatieddu atturratu from Cerami and various black pork cured meats from Nebrodi.

And there’s nothing like getting lost in Petralia Sottana (in the province of Palermo), in the heart of the Madonie, with fried guastedda and Petralese risu niru! There are also vegetable soups and fried cardoons, as well as meat sauces and fresh pasta.

In November, we remember our departed loved ones with sweetness: Martorana fruit, the bright-coloured, fruit-shaped almond pastry desserts, which brighten up the windows of the best Sicilian pastry shops all year round.

They’re all washed down with excellent wine – Sicilian CDO, of course – or with the finest liqueurs like Pantelleria passito, zibibbo, limoncello, marsala, amaro agli agrumi (an excellent digestive) and the delicious rosoli, the perfect accompaniment with “rame di Napoli”, “ossa dei morti” or the royal Cassata Siciliana!