When you visit Sicily, especially the western side of the island, you will quickly notice that there’s torrone (or nougat) everywhere, made in many different flavors and variations.
You see it in stores, at cafes, restaurants, and at gatherings, and if you’re fortunate enough to attend an Italian or Sicilian wedding or baptism you’ll probably have a hard time stopping yourself from eating too much.
But what is this specialty of Sicilian cuisine? Torrone is a traditional Italian candy made with almonds and honey, produced in many different flavors and variations. Sicilian nougat, compared to other types of nougat, is a crunchy dessert that is prepared in the winter and sold especially in the Christmas period. In Sicily, it is impossible to not find this delicious sweet everywhere for tasting, on every street there are bars and pastry shops that sell it.
Let’s learn more about Sicilian nougat, its origins, and its unforgettable flavors!
The origins of Sicilian nougat (or torrone)
Nougat has distant origins and defining where it originated is not easy. This dessert has crossed centuries and borders becoming, even in Sicily, a dessert of excellence.
The recipe for Sicilian nougat is said to have been handed down from the Saracens, later becoming deeply rooted in Italian tradition. Thus, Sicilian nougat has taken on particular characteristics that have made it unique and present throughout the country. In some provinces it is prepared by adding spices such as cinnamon, or various types of dried fruit, such as pistachios.
This dessert is widespread in various regions of Italy, with variations in both ingredients and name, but it is in Sicily that its true origin can be traced.
From the Arabs to the world
The term “torrone” would come from the Latin torrĕo, which means “toast”, “desiccate”, “roast” and in fact refers to toasted nuts (almonds and pistachios among all). The most credited origin would be Arab: the Arab sweet turun was mentioned in De Medicinis e cibis semplicibus, a treatise written by an Arab physician.
It then arrived in Sicily with the Arabs, who began to spread it first in Spain, then in the Mediterranean, and then in Sicily starting in the 11th century.
The Arabs began to spread it first in Spain, then in the Mediterranean, and then in Sicily starting in the 11th century. Sicilians have also exported this product abroad, bringing Sicilian torrone to other countries thanks to the numerous immigrants who left Sicily at the end of 1800 and during the 1900s.
This dessert, which is very popular in eastern Sicily, is prepared mainly during the holidays, especially for Christmas, but it can also be found during village festivals, at food stands, and in Sicilian pastry shops.
The literary origin of nougat
Several praises were dedicated to Cubbaita by Sicilian writers: from Verga, in a passage from the Malavoglias, to Andrea Camilleri, who appreciated its taste as a child, recalling that his grandmother kept it inside the drawer in small pieces so he could enjoy them before going to sleep.
Camilleri, about its crunchiness, said, “with difficulty you manage with your teeth to tear off a piece and you don’t have to attack it right away, you have to leave it to soften a little bit between tongue and palate, you almost have to lovingly persuade it to be eaten“.
Leonardo Sciascia also mentioned Cubbaita, revealing that the hardest and crispiest one is certainly the tastiest.
In short, a dessert for those who really love crunch!
Sicilian nougat: many variations, same soul
It was here that, alongside nougat, a very similar artisanal nougat was born, namely the Cubbaita (also called giuggiulena in some parts of Sicily). The quibbiat or qubbayta is a crunchy Arab dessert made with almonds and honey. On the other hand, for many the Giuggiulena differs from Cubbaita in the recipe: is made with sesame seeds instead of almonds and honey.
However, it is commonly believed that cubaita, also known as “Turkish nougat“, is made with sesame seeds, almonds and orange peel, all blended with honey. For most Sicilians Cubaita is then synonymous with giuggiolena, while for others Giuggiolena is composed only of sesame (in Sicilian delight ciciulena) and honey. In short, if so much confusion already dominates among Sicilians about these typical products, imagine a poor tourist who simply asking for nougat may find himself faced with such different products, however, there is no doubt, whether minnulata, Cubaita or giuggiolena, the tourist on vacation in Sicily will never be disappointed.
In Sicily, crispy nougat is made with dried fruit and honey, and in the different variants of cubbaita or giuggiulena and petrafennula, a crunchy made with honey, almonds, citron and orange peels, sugared almonds and cinnamon.
Then there is another variant, the nougat of Caltanissetta, which is distinguished from the others by the presence, inside, of almond and pistachio.
There are many ways to make it; some recipes call for adding candied fruit or chocolate, while others take the form of more elaborate marzipan figurines.
Torrone is traditionally made with honey and nuts, but other ingredients like chocolate can be added as well. You may have seen some delicious-looking torroncini (the mini versions) when you visited Sicily: they are crunchy little treats that come in all kinds of flavors!
Almond nougat: cubbaita or minnulata?
The word cubaita derives from the Arabic qubbiat, meaning “almondy”. Minnulata, on the other hand, derives from mennula, meaning “almond” in Sicilian dialect. Each of these terms identifies a different recipe, but in Sicily the word nougat is used generically to define all of these desserts.
Some call it Almond Nougat, for Sicilians it is Minnulata! It is the sweet, indeed very sweet, nougat of tradition. Crunchy, with dried fruit to munch on and a sugar coating that wins over young and old alike. Making it at home is child’s play: all you need to do is follow the recipe below.
Minnulata is a nougat made from almonds and sugar. Caramelized sugar envelops roasted almonds with a citrus scent. A real treat that must be prepared with care and attention at each step, because the sugar must caramelize and the risk is to make it burn or get the wrong consistency with a dough too doughy and sticky impossible to eat.
To prepare a perfect almond nougat, crisp to the right degree, you will need a hammer, a long, sharp knife and a cutting board, preferably made of stone or marble. No, these are not the tools for building a piece of furniture, but just the tools for making perfect Sicilian nougat!
Conclusion
Now that you know the history behind this Sicilian delicacy, we hope that you are even more curious about trying it for yourself. If you find yourself on a trip to Sicily, do not forget to try some of the local sweets! And if you can’t get there, don’t worry, there are plenty of places that sell sicilian torrone in Italy and abroad.
Have you ever tasted or made Sicilian nougat? What do you think of it? Leave a comment!
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