Introduction to Sicilian Drinks

 

 

In Sicily wine is a traditional drink since pre-historical times. Beside wine other well-known Sicilian alcoholic beverages are the dessert wines like the Marsala, a fortified wine produced in the homonym town, the Malvasia di Lipari produced in the Aeolian Islands and Moscato made in Pantelleria with dried grapes. The Florio, Pellegrino and other historical wineries produce vintage Marsala of the highest quality and an assortment of flavored dessert wine like Sicilian Gold, Marsala Superiore or Marsala Vergine Soleras.

 

In the center of Sicily, in Caltanissetta the most popular bitter liquor is produced from the original recipe. The Amaro Averna is made with an infusion of herbs, roots and citrus and when caramel syrup is added it results into a gentle bitter-sweet after-dinner drink to ease the digestion.

 

Since childhood a small quantity of wine mixed with water was given to drink with the meal. Today it would be scandalous, but for sure it did not have any side effects or negative consequences to my growing-up.
In my paternal home the wine we drunk was either white or red, without today’s sophistications of the Pinots, Cabernets and the other varietals wines.  For the children, wine mixed with seltzer was the closest we got to the real Asti Spumante, the Italian version of Champagne.

 

In most of Sicily, with few exceptions, taverns were places where wine was sold to take out, but lately many taverns became wine bars, where the wine aficionados – seems to me that every body became a wine expert – can enjoy a glass of Chateauneuf- du- Pape, a Chardonnay, a Cote du Rhone, a glass of Dom Perignon or some other exotic wine.
In the entire Sicilian region wines of the best quality are produced and in such large quantities that the strong Sicilian wines are exported to the Continente, the Italian peninsula, to reinforce the Veronese, Tuscans or the Piedmonts  wines and to France to give body to their light wines.
In the western part of Sicily white wines are mostly produced.
The Catarratto is a green-gold wine with strong, fruits and spicy features; the Alcamo Bianco is a fresh and harmonious wine. Also produced in the area is the Grillo wine, light and fragrant with citrus fruity notes, mostly used to make Marsala and the abundant sweetish and fruity Inzolia.

In the Eastern part of the Island the Cerasuolo di Vittoria made with Frappato and Nero di Avola, is one of the most valuable Sicilian vintage wines; the Faro wine, it is produced in small quantities at the foot of the Etna in the province of Messina, it is an elegant wine, refreshing and tasteful.
Mostly in the south-east part of the Island, the Nero di Avola, a fully-bodied red with fruit and herb flavors is produced; it is a likeable wine for the low tannin contained.
Many other types of wines are produced in Sicily, each with its specific and unique characteristics.   

 

The Spanish sangria made with white or red wine and fruit juices, assorted fruits and brandy, in Palermo became u caliotto, a beverage made with red wine, peaches and gassosa either lemon or orange. In the late fifties beer and Marsala were added and called with the fancy name poncio, the Sicilian translation of punch.

Some popular drinks of my times were replaced wit Coke, Pepsi and San Pellegrino.
But even today it is possible to drink the gassosa, carbonated drink made with lemon, orange juice or with real coffee or the spumante, also a carbonated drink made with coffee, but put in a seltzer bottle and dispensed with a lot of foam. I loved it!

 

Most of the Sicilians drink two types of coffee: the one made in the moka machine at home and the espresso at the bar, during a work break or any time when you invite a friend for a fast coffee, usually it is drunk at the bar counter standing up.

 

A preferred drink in all parts of Sicily is water. Mineral bottled water is available sparkling or natural; spring water, that everyone has his secret source and believed to be healthier, is transported in large containers and used for drinking or cooking. From the local fountain where our ancestors were carrying the water home before the installation of the plumbing facilities in the house, the water is still taken home and appreciated for drinking and used to make coffee.
In Palermo one my preferred water was the spring water at the fountain near the church of San Francesco, in the homonym square.
At one time, from street vendors, at the many kiosks or in the local stalls,
you also could buy a glass of water with a few drops of a solution called zammu’ or zambu’, morphed from zanbucu or sammucu, the sambuco, the elderberry flower, which was infused with alcohol to make the zammu’. Today anice seeds are used.

 

Now there are a few kiosks left only in the center of the old Palermo, in Piazza Massimo, Piazza Politeama and in Via Ruggero Settimo.
In those kiosks bright colored syrups made with almonds, cherries, strawberries, mint are served along with fresh fruits juices.
When I left Italy, in the fifties, there were a few latterie, shops selling milk, butter, ice cream and other dairy, they served l’acqua di gramigna, an infusion made with couch grass and believed to be the best remedy for renal problems and to relieve fever and the marba, an infusion made with malva, (the mallow) and   considered the best therapy for coughing, bronchitis and chronic catarrh. The price was very reasonable; it was served separately or in combination with a bit of milk. In via Alloro, across the street of the church of La Gancia, near my home, there was a latteria, and every morning they had a long line of customers.
An old specialty that Sicilians used to drink on the hot days, before the coming of the refrigerators, was called sciala cori – joy of the heart- which consisted of the snow from the Etna or Nebrodi Mountains mixed either with milk and honey or lemon juice and honey.

 

Another drink no longer consumed was called cabbasisata. It was a drink considered an effective remedy for longs pleurisy, excellent tonic for the urinary system and an aphrodisiac. The cabbasisi, called the dado della tigre or mandorle di terra, in English tiger nut or earth almonds, were processed like almond and a milk like liquid was extracted and mixed with water.
Today when people refer to cabasisi…it is a different story: because of the unique shape of the tiger nuts, the cabasisi is used in the expression”non mi rompere i cabasisi” that can be translated “don’t break my… chops”.  

 

Rosoli are still made in some households and offered with pride especially if they are made with local ingredients. Some buy them manufactured by small artisan businesses and the quality is excellent. Refer to the rosoli chapter for additional details.