Sunday, in the Sicilian houses, starts early in the morning and in the best way – the smells that come out from the kitchen, with skilled cooks already at work (and of course we mean the mothers or the grandmothers!), immediately indicate that indeed it is a special day. On the day of rest par excellence, you know that you can coddle yourself with many delicacies and traditional recipes.
Let’s make this clear: Sunday lunch in Sicily is a ritual, not a simple meal. There are actions that are always repeated in the same way but we are never tired of them!
Here, then, are 10 things that make Sunday lunch in Sicily unique:
1 – Love
Let’s start with a fundamental ingredient. Lunch in the family is prepared with care and love. It is a demonstration of affection for the diners that goes through ingredients and slow preparations.
2 – Baked pasta
A great Sunday tradition is a dish made of baked pasta. On the island, there are really many variations, each of which is linked to the various provinces. From one recipe to another, there is one thing that does not change: goodness.
3 – The Company
The classic Sunday tables are those with many diners: parents, children, uncles, cousins, grandparents and relatives acquired. All together to share the goodness of a meal.
4 – Sharing
There’s always space for an extra person at the table, you can easily add a chair. This is one of the peculiarities of Sicilians: they are welcoming.
5 – The slowness
Sunday lunch in Sicily is consumed slowly. There is no hurry to leave the table and every bite must be tasted as it should, to pay respect to the cook.
6- The duration
You know when you sit down, but you don’t know when you get up. The beauty of this meal is that it can last even a day, and no one will complain about it.
7 – Abundance
It is difficult to count the exact number of courses. What is certain is that it is a continuous coming of steaming dishes, which are passed from one diner to another to serve. The first, the second, the contours… There’s really everything!
8 – Huge selection of Desserts
You thought we’d forgotten, didn’t you? We could never have. There is no Sunday lunch without the wonderful tray of desserts just arrived from the pastry shop. Not to be missed are the cannoli, the sfincette and the chocolate puffs. Everyone finds what they prefer and everything is devoured at the speed of light!
9 – Loud Conversation
During Sunday lunch you can have a conversations of course – but what is really important is how you can have a conversation! We talk about everything, but mainly about the latest events, personal or not, of the diners, but with a super high volume. It looks more like we’re having an argument rather than a simple conversation…
10 – Leftovers
Given the abundance of preparations, even on Mondays there is something to eat from the previous day! And trust us, everything will be as good as the day before, or even more tastier!
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