Vegan in Sicily: Granita, Panelle, and My First-Ever Cannolo
Yes, the singular is cannolo and not cannoli
It was eleven p.m and almost thirty degrees Celsius when I first discovered granita.
I’d heard of it before. If I’m not wrong, I might have had one in Milan at some point. But that had been different. It had tasted like a slushy, and had the texture of one too. Just ice and flavoured water. Nothing special.
But this? This hazelnut-flavoured little cup of paradise? This was something.
It really was a wonder that I hadn’t come to Sicily before I did. One of my best friends has a house there, and he spends pretty much every summer in Pozzallo, about an hour or so from Catania. So when my husband and I finally went in 2022, I had heard so many stories about Sicily that my expectations were sky-high. And spoiler alert: they were not let down.
On our first night in Pozzallo, we ate pizza. It was very nice - but of course it did not feature any cheese. Which we’re happy to occasionally forgo, but if you follow a plant-based diet and want to venture to a small, somewhat rural area in Sicily, please for the love of all that’s holy, stay somewhere with a kitchen. Because after your third night of pizza ortolana with no cheese, you’ll start to question your choices.
Needless to say, my friend’s house did have a kitchen - and local supermarkets are also very well equipped, with everything from tofu and peanut butter to soya milk. So our minds were at ease. Plus, after my first taste of real, authentic granita - a traditional Sicilian dessert made from sugar, water, and whatever flavour you choose - I was hooked on Sicilian food. During our ten days in the region, I tried granitas flavoured with hazelnut, almond, strawberry, coffee, lemon, and chocolate. Phew!
Leaving Pozzallo proved to be the pathway to more vegan options - like often happens, larger cities were significantly more vegan-friendly than smaller areas. My friend, bless him, also has a car - and we were joined by another one of my best friends in the world, who just happens to be a Sicily tour guide. The two of them arranged endless day trips for my husband and me, introducing us to the many, many treasures of this wondrous land.
Including panelle! This traditional Sicilian delicacy is best described as chickpea fritters. These little squares of heaven are often offered as an appetiser at Sicilian restaurants. They’re made with chickpea flour, salt, pepper, olive oil and often parsley. Squeeze some lemon on top and enjoy! David noted that he appreciated exploring local delicacies that were already “accidentally vegan”, rather than something non-local and veganised, like a plant-based burger.
In Catania, the first larger city we visited, the itinerary featured lunch at Fud. This modern eatery inspired by traditional Sicilian cuisine offered a plant-based kebab wrap that I won’t forget! Which just goes to show that veganism is on the rise in the most unexpected of places.
What’s special about Sicily is just how full of beautiful places it is. Wherever we went, my mind was blown by all the exquisite gorgeousness. Each place was more stunning than the next, and there was always more exploring to do.
Modica, a tiny town that is breathtakingly beautiful - wherever you look is filled with postcard-like views - features another traditional Sicilian delicacy that I’ll be delighted to discover: its very own chocolate. This small city is strewn with little chocolate shops offering unique flavours such as cinnamon, coffee, Limoncello, ginger, sea salt, raspberry, and…over a hundred more. I kid you not, this is a total chocolate dreamscape. When I first entered a Modica chocolate shop, I asked if they happened to have any flavours that are dairy-free. “All of them,” replied the woman behind the till. Turns out, there are only three ingredients in Modica chocolate: cacao, sugar, and whatever the flavour is. So for a cinnamon chocolate (which I ended up buying), it’s cacao, sugar and cinnamon. Simple, delicious, and all vegan. We also find out that around the area, chocolate ice cream also comes in “Modica chocolate” flavour, which is just about the best ice cream I’ve ever had.
After swimming in caves, taking full-moon night dips fuelled by homemade sangria, and clocking in around 18k steps a day wandering around Noto, Marzamemi, Taormina, and Ragusa, we pretty much bleed espresso by day, Aperol Spritz by night. I was the only one who managed to sleep at night - everyone else was woken up by the heat and apparently congregated on the terrace in my absence. At 7am, local building work started, acting as a wake-up call to us all. My hair looked like this the entire time due to the humidity.
Then there was the day we went windsurfing. This was my birthday present to my husband, and I’m not sure what possessed me to try it myself. When I say ‘try it’, I mean David holding on to me, my friend holding on to the board, and me screaming for my life while I figure out how to get off this thing without the sail hitting me in the head. Fortunately, I made it out alive and we celebrated with yet another Aperol Spritz.
We enjoyed more than our share of gorgeous views, but nothing could prepare us for the beauty of Siracusa. Aside from Rome, this just might be the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. If you haven’t been, put it on your list immediately. For the atmosphere and countless photo-friendly corners. For the softly coloured architectures towering over the pastel sea. For the golden sunset over the majestic squares. But also for MOON Ortigia. Brought to my attention by my wonderful friend the tour guide, this fully vegan restaurant blends Italian flavours with plant-based innovation. From the most delightful vegan cheeseboard to what David still recalls as the best carbonara he’s ever had, MOON is full of mouth-watering surprises.
And it’s there that I got my hands on my first-ever cannolo (this is the singular of cannoli!). This Sicilian dessert, which is traditionally made with ricotta - I never was a fan of ricotta, even in my pre-vegan years - came in a light yet exquisitely flavoured vegan version at MOON. It was crispy, it was creamy, it was quintessentially Italian. I was in love. We left Siracusa filled with wonder - and our bellies full of delicious food.
And this sums up my Sicilian experience. So much beauty that I could barely take it all in - and so many flavours that, years later, I’m still digesting the experience. But the most beautiful experience of all? Sharing it all with three of my favourite people in the world. Be it for the food or the friends, the culinary delights or the companionship, this will always be one of the most memorable trips I’ve been on.
All photos by me except those of me. These are by David Camilli.
Splendid trip and food. It’s hard to believe I’ve never been to Sicily. I want to go and spend a month there.
Brava