Do you know arancine/i?

Rice ball Arancina with meat ragù or rice ball butter Arancina?

This has always been my QUESTION. After many years I’ve found the answer: I’ll eat both of them!

Depending on which side of the island you’re on, these fried rice balls will change name: Arancina (Palermo and Western Sicily) or Arancino (Catania and Eastern Sicily).

Arancine or Arancini (plural) are breaded and deeply fried rice balls stuffed with different fillings.

The most traditional are:

• Rice Arancine with meat ragù, filled with meat ragù sauce, slow-cooked with tomato sauce, and peas.
• Rice butter Arancina, filled with ham and mozzarella cheese or bechamel.

The name, which can be translated as “little orange”, probably derives from their shape and colour that reminds of an orange (in Italian “arancia”). 
It is said that its origin dates back to 9th-century when Sicily  was under Arab rule.

Today, Arancina/o is the symbol of Sicilian street food!

Amongst the most popular finger food or street food they can be found all year round.

Come with me! Join Palermo Markets and street food tour and let’s discover ARANCINE/I together!