White and black olives – " focacce" (Kind of flat bread) - salty "ricotta" (Kind of cottage cheese ) – barbecued lamb – wine - roast gilthead breams with vinegar – morays - marinated tunny – fried little fishes with seaweeds - lobsters- swordfish.

ROMANS

"Maccu" of broad beans - stuffed cuttlefishes - oysters- sausages – black puddings - baked onions with oil and vinegar – sparrow grass.

BYZANTINES

Oriental spices- strong cheeses- sweets.

ARABS

Cinnamon - refined sugar - saffron - black mulberry - Rice - citrus fruits - anise - sesame - "cassata" (Kind of Sicilian cake) (quas’at-) – " cubbaita " (Kind of honey nougat) - "sfince" (Kind of fried sweeks with "ricotta" – "sciarbate" or " sorbetto" (Kind of sweet ice) – couscous.

NORMANS and SWABIANS

Salty bloaters – stock - fish (" piscistoccu") and "baccalaru" (Kind of salted cod)

ANGEVINS and ARAGONESES

" Cascavaddu all’argintera" – it comes from the french recipe "Arboulaste" (in Sicily hare is substituted by a Kind of strong cheese from Southern Italy) - " Rollò" (collar) "Ancidda brudacchiata" (Eel soup) - Sorbets (water- ice) - brioches - fricassee - "gateaux" (a Kind of salted pied with mashed potatoes ).

SPANISH AGE of the VICEROYS

Sweet and sour pumpkin - tomato - "caponata" (sicilian dish made from aubergines, celerj , olives, tomatoes, capers, etc.) - Pasta with wild fennel - sponge cake - chocolate - various types of food covered with breadcrumbs - aubergines.

SARDINIAN PIEDMONTESES- ENGLISH AUSTRO- HUNGARIANS Bourbons

(1806-1815 English protectorate during the reign of King Ferdinand) - Italians from Northern Italy there are two types of cooking: one is called baronial because it is rich, the other is folker and poorer.

Grey mullets from Lentini – "Pignolata" Messina style – provola (type of cheese made from buffalo’s milk) from Modica – Swordfish of the Straits of Messina – "torrone" (Kind of nougat) from Piazza Armerina - mousse – icecreams - cream - "torrone" and pistachios.

                                                                            © S.Lannino 2001