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Italian Flavors of Sicily ~ Pat Lemmon
Walking Sicily

Pat & Denise Lemmon (at right)

Walking Adventures provides many experiences rich with the culture, history, and scenery of this remarkable world. Although walking adds a great deal to a tour by giving us an up close and personal view of a country's culture and scenery, cuisine is another aspect of our tours which provides a very tasty and enchanting view of the regions through which we travel!

 

Speaking of gastronomy, one of my favorite trips is Walking Sicily, a survey of Southern Italy, a region rich in culture, fantastic scenery, cheery residents, and mouthwatering cuisine! Below are just a few of the Italian flavors I've enjoyed on this trip...

 

Walking Sicily

Views from Capri walk

On Capri we walked through lemon groves on our way to Villa Jovis, where the Roman emperor Tiberius made his residence. It is one of the best-preserved Roman villas in Italy. We tested the flavors of the lemons with Italian made limoncello. This is a lemon liquor which is bright yellow in color, sweet and lemony. It is served chilled as an after-dinner drink.

 

In the nearby coastal town of Sorrento, the Italian

Walking Sicily

Coastal town of Sorrento

flavors continued. Sorrento is famous for its inlaid wood art work and furniture. It was here that we experienced the best gelato in Italy! Delectably smooth and creamy -- I had to have 2 scoops, a mocha chocolate topped with fruity strawberry.

 

Gelato is considered healthier than ice cream, as it has significantly less butterfat than ice cream's typical 18 or so percent - Gelato has less than 10%. However, less fat does not mean less taste. With the lower butterfat content, gelato is less solidly frozen than ice cream and melts in

Walking Sicily

Mouthwatering gelato!

the mouth faster - we therefore taste gelato's full flavor immediately. Second, gelato has a much higher density than ice cream. Ice cream is produced by mixing cream, milk and sugar, then adding air. Manufacturers add air to ice cream because it nearly doubles the quantity of their product. But it cuts the quality in half. No air is added to gelato. The result is a higher quality dessert with a richer, creamier taste. Third, gelato is served slightly warmer than ice cream. While both gelato and ice cream are served well below the freezing temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, gelato is served 10 to 15 degrees warmer than ice cream. Because it is less solidly frozen, gelato's taste is further enhanced as it melts in the mouth.

 

Walking Sicily

View of Taormina from hotel rooftop

During our planning trip for Walking Sicily, we searched for a walk in the enchanting town of Taormina, with its rich history and beautiful views. After several hours of plotting a twisting walk through the town and its Greek amphitheater, we made a stop at a local bar, as advised, to try a granita. This is a semi-frozen dessert of sugar, water, and flavorings which was originally from Sicily, but is now available all over Italy. We found flavors like lemon, mandarin orange, coffee, almonds, mint, strawberry, and black mulberries. Our discovery of the granita was the surprise of the trip! Especially after a long walk, a granita's burst of flavor is a delight and so refreshing!

Walking Sicily

Delectable granita!

 

In the southern part of Sicily we explored the city of Agrigento. This was the site of one of the richest and most famous Greek colonies; later the Romans and Carthaginians took control of the city. Here we enjoyed one of the most famous of Italian foods, pizza. Pizza is available throughout all of Italy. They use fresh ingredients and cook the pizza in a wood-fired stove; it is ready to enjoy in minutes.

 

The view from the mountaintop walled town of Erice is

Walking Sicily

Possible source of the natural ingredients used in granitas!

one of the many thrilling panoramas along our walk there! The two castles date from the Saracen and Norman times. After our exhilarating walk, we found out that the cannoli at the Pastaceria del Convento is not to be missed. Cannoli is a fried pastry dough rolled around ricotta cheese blended with sugar and vanilla.

 

Walking Sicily

Pat, Dan and Jesse feasting on
cannoli in Erice

Although I enjoy the other aspects we experience on our Walking Sicily tour - the amazing walks, Southern Italy's rich history, and our interactions with the people there - I must admit that one of my first priorities on landing in this blessed region is to check out the local cuisine! And if you join Denise and I for our Walking Sicily tour in 2012, I can promise you we will make many stops at the gelato booths there!


Pat Lemmon, Adventure Guide


 


Contact Debbie or Jeannette with any questions at 800.779.0353 or [email protected]!

 


Walking Adventures International
PO Box 871000
Vancouver WA 98687 
800.779.0353