We often hear about the good food we have in Southern Italy , but in particular of the specialties that the Sicily. Just hearing its name, an infinite number of delicacies that come from the island appear in our mind: the cassata, cannon border, but also oranges, pistachio and spices. But there is a dish, typically Sicilian, that makes your mouth water just to say its name; what am I talking about? Obviously of the arancini.
Arancini (or arancine, are so called in the area of Palermo and its province) are balls or cones of breaded and fried rice, stuffed inside with ragù, mozzarella and peas or with cooked ham, butter and bechamel. The most popular types of arancini are certainly that with meat sauce, butter or spinach, but we also find more elaborate flavors such as mushrooms, sausage or chicken and decidedly more particular flavors such as the one with pesto, with seafood or nutella.
Catania is the city where they were born and so I begin to tell you about the places to eat the best arancini you can ever imagine.
Sap
It is useless to turn too many words, but Sap has been one of the best known places here in the Etna capital since 1897. It is located in the heart of the historic center of Catania in Via Etnea 300-304, at the corner with Via Umberto. Their diner, especially the arancini, have been defined as an explosion of flavors; but for those who know this place well, they know that their workhorse is not the classic arancino with meat sauce, but the arancino alla catanese: in addition to the rice and the sauce, the filling is made with fried eggplant and salted ricotta: a delicacy that tastes of Sicily. The establishment is closed on Mondays and is open from 7.45 in the morning until 21.30 in the evening.
Holly
Since 1936 it has been the rival of the renowned Savia and is located right next to it, in Via Etnea 292-298. Some say that the first is incomparable to the second, others the opposite, but of one thing I'm sure: Spinella has arancini with meat sauce and pistachio among the best in all of Catania. THE prices are definitely a little above average, but if you are just passing through and want to enjoy a great arancino, Spinella is a safe place to go. Open from Monday to Thursday from 7.30 to 22.30 and on weekends it remains open until midnight.
Etoile D'Or
Another place that I recommend to anyone who comes to Catania, is theEtoile D'Or. It is located in Via Beato Cardinale Giuseppe Benedetto Dusmet 7 and their arancino is defined as the best arancino in the whole Catania hinterland: fried to the right point, crunchy, not greasy and above all they still manage to carry on the tradition, where inside there was not only simple meat sauce but pieces of meat that make it super. Furthermore, the Etoile D'Or is able to satisfy your cravings at any time, in fact, this exercise is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
Via Napoli laboratory
As the name implies, this laboratory is located in Via Napoli at number 55 and it is one of the fundamental stops for those who love the Catania nightlife. In fact, this laboratory is open from 20.30 until the early hours of the morning, and therefore is for those who stay up late or for those who are seized by an unstoppable desire for arancini and other delicacies in the middle of the night. the Bolognese, croissants, pizzas and i panzerotti. The arancini are highly recommended with spinach, pistachio and chicken.
Castle Bar
And finally, the last of the 5 best arancini in Catania you can taste it in Via Leucatia, 95b. The Castello bar is not located in the city center, but it is also a meeting point for the nightlife of Catania as this exercise is also open all night. Their workhorse is the white chocolate croissant, but also the arancini are no less: perfect browning, filling that melts in the mouth and above all, they are always hot. And once discovered, it is impossible to do without them.
