casa vacanze ragusa ibla, appartamento vacanze

IBLA’S FOOD AND TASTES

The area of Ibla has an extraordinary food tradition, which has roots into the peculiarities of the territory and which is enriched by contributions coming from the various culture that inhabited the area during centuries, as well as by contributions related to the religious life and to the spiritual traditions of the whole island.

Having dinner in whichever typical restaurant or farm (here called “agriturismi”) is then always not only a journey among tastes and smells but also an authentic cultural experience.

Among the typical and distinctive products (of which locals are particularly proud and that one cannot absolutely give up) one can list:

• The Scacce Ragusane, baked product similar to a pastry. One upon a time it was prepared in anticipation of long journeys and that today is available at most of the local baker in several type and combinations (Tomato and Cheese, Aubergine, Ricotta and Sausage, Ricotta and Broad Beans, Ricotta and Spinach, Broccoli, etc.), all of them rigorously prepared as per the traditional recipes.
• The Impanate di Agnello, other baked product similar to a pastry and stuffed with lamb. It is typical of the religious tradition of Easter and it’s an ideal meal for an excursion in the countryside. Better to be consumed fresh.
• The Salsiccia Ragusana, the local sausage made with pork meat and flavoured with wild fennel seeds.
• The Ricotta. Unlike the ricotta made in the remaining parts of Sicily (this last is almost ever made with sheep milk), the Ricotta in Ibla is rigorously made with milk produced on the plateau by grazing beef cattle.
• Ragusano D.O.P. Cheese, excellence – level variant ot the traditional (and not standardized) “Caciocavallo” cheese. Obviously made with cow milk as well as the Ricotta.
• The Pane di Casa. Litterally it can be translated “Home Bread”. It is a kind of bread made with durum wheat flour by using natural mother yeast, baked in stone ovens and with a taste and organoleptic characteristics which are usually considered superior respect to the common bread (especially if just taken out of the oven).
• Nero D’avola, Cerasuolo di Vittoria and Sirah wines, the perfect drink to match with the above mentioned products and also available loose in several wine shops (here called “Cantine”) in the city.
• For who have vegetarian preferences, it’s always possible to find abundance of products like tomato (dry or fresh), olives, aubergines, grilled or marinated courgettes, any kind of fruit and vegetables. It has in fact to be remembered that the near fruit and vegetables cultivations of the area of Vittoria cover on their own a very important quote of the national market (recent estimations refer about 40%) and are also exported abroad. Moreover, the food tradition in Ragusa has a great consideration of legume-based dishes (mainly broad beans, chickpeas and brown beans)

Moreover, if you’re sitting in a restaurant for lunch or dinner, we suggest not to give this following traditional dishes up:

• the “Cavati e Ravioli (di ricotta) al sugo di maiale”, a dish made with two different type of pasta, the Cavati and the Ravioli (these last stuffed with Ricotta), in a pork and tomato sauce, good for any period during the year;
• “U Maccu ri Favi”, a very dense soup (almost a cream) made by broad beans. “Maccu” is how particular dish is now very well know all around the world;
• “I ciciri cco finucciedu a’ timpa”, very taste dish made with chickpeas and wild fennel. Ask for this dish between February and April, when wild fennel is available in the countryside;
• the “Costata di Maiale Ripiena”, ribe eye pork steak with a cheese-based stuffing;
• “I Turciniuna”, lamb entrails rolls with onion, Caciocavallo cheese and parsley, cooked in a soucepan by low flame, usually typical of the Easter period;
• “U cunigghju a’ purtuisa”, rabbit cooked in a soucepan on a base of peppers, aubergines, carrots, celery, artichoke hearts and garlic;
• The edible wild herbs (see Section dedicated to countryside) which the chef has been able to find depending on the period of the year and the weather conditions of the previous weeks;
• the Cannolo alla Ricotta, the famous Cannolo sweet so common in the whole Sicily and here conjugated in a special variant severely based on cow milk (grazing cattle);
• The Arancine, other classic dish very common all round Sicily and surely always attractive in any variant.