The Sicilian Cannolo

Did you know that the origins of the Sicilian Cannolo come from an ancient Roman recipe, later elaborated by the Arabs and cloistered nuns?

Journey to the Sicilian Cannolo; do you want to know why it is called that?

Its name is linked to the river reeds on which the wafer was rolled, until a few decades ago, during its preparation. According to another tradition, the name is said to derive from a carnival prank: it consisted of spilling ricotta cream instead of water from the “cannolo,” a dialect term for a kind of spigot.

According to various hypotheses, the cake was, in fact, created to celebrate carnival and later, due to its goodness, became one of the sweets consumed all year round.

The origins of the cannolo come from the reinterpretation of an ancient Roman recipe, later elaborated by the Arabs and then developed by the skilled hands of the cloistered nuns of a convent near Caltanissetta.

variations of the sicilian cannolo

Why is the Sicilian Cannolo so famous?

Pastry chefs in Palermo, one of Sicily’s most beautiful and famous cities, perfected the recipe, making it a dessert known and loved by all.
It was then the people of Messina who created a twist on the recipe by including chocolate in the cream… yum!

Did you know that the cannoli was sent to space? To pay homage to this dessert, two famous Italian computer scientists launched into the stratosphere a probe balloon containing a reproduction of a Sicilian cannoli!

Do you want to know what he looks like?

The cannolo is made from a wafer made from a mixture of flour, wine, sugar and butter, which is then rolled out, rolled up and fried in lard or oil.

To give it its characteristic shape, a small metal tube is used on which the dough is rolled and fried directly.

What about the filling?

Ricotta, a fundamental ingredient in Sicilian pastries, could not be missing. It is sifted and processed with sugar to obtain a soft and creamy filling. To make it even more mouth-watering, candied fruit or your choice of chocolate chips, pistachio or hazelnut grains are added. The finishing touch, however, is a dusting of powdered sugar.

Although the Sicilian cannolo filled with ricotta cheese is the original version, today this dessert is also filled with cream, chocolate or pistachio depending on personal taste.

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