Sicilian sweets are famous worldwide, and the island's desserts are just as diverse as its various territories. Fragments of volcanic rock surrounded by the different shades of blue from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Aeolian archipelago consists of seven islands off the Northern coast of Sicily, called “the daughters of fire and earth.” Though they seem similar at first glance, each of these seven sisters has its own soul and identity that differentiates it from the others.
Salina
Salina is nicknamed “green island” for its rows of vines harvesting the Malvasia grape and endless fields of capers, two of the Aeolian Islands' most quintessential products. A strong local heart still beats in the hinterland, evident in the variety of ingredients comprising the traditional vegetable, grain, and fruit dishes. In the quiet town of Leni, Francesca Cincotta – with the help of her grandmother Assunta and mother Maria Rosa – has transformed the small village’s Al Belvedere into a boutique hotel. These three generations of tenacious women tell the story of their deep bond with the island through the aroma and flavors of family recipes. The structure is open all year round to encourage conscious and sustainable tourism, not only during the summer months – in line with the objectives pursued by the Salina Isola Verde Association.
Sweets from the soul
As it often happens in Sicily, to fully understand a place, you need to try the particular Sicilian sweets rooted to it – still made at home on feast days with just a few essential ingredients. Among the oldest recipes is pasta squaddate or squadate, meaning “burnt” in the local dialect. This fried dessert is so-called for the heated hand processing it undergoes. Then there’s sfinci – a pancake made with flour, red squash. (called cucuzza in Sicilian dialect), and cinnamon, prepared when a local family would complete the roof of their new home as a good omen for this new phase of their life.
Pumpkin was also used to make jams and stuff Christmas pies. Today, pumpkin and cinnamon jam is a delight found in the rich breakfasts at Al Belvedere, which happens to be served on the beautiful terrace with panoramic views of the Aeolian Islands. A true delicacy that wins over guests of all nationalities – every time.
Nacatuli, on the other hand, is the most elaborate Aeolian dessert. This pastry is rolled with Malvasia wine and stuffed with a soft filling made from almond and tangerine peels. A typical Christmas dessert, it’s also a popular wedding fare. Composed of twisted and decorated dough sheets that resemble the lace of a wedding dress, nacatuli are shaped into flowers, fish, birds, leaves, and baskets – all objects of everyday Aeolian life – as a gesture of good luck to the bride and groom.
In regard to paste squaddate, Francesca shares a rather poignant tale. "Nonna always said that when a woman is sad, she must braid her hair on the top of her head, so as to trap the pain in her hair and prevent the sadness from reaching the rest of the body, because if it were to reach her eyes, it would make them tear up and she'd begin to cry. If it were to reach her mouth, it would make her say untrue things. And it must never reach her fingers, otherwise it would ruin her work. I asked, ‘But Nonna, is it the same for the sweets you're making?’ She replied, ‘Yes, my dear, the knot holds the sadness and only let love come in.’ In Aeolian dialect, they’re called paste squaddate, and they have an immense emotional value. That's why we romantically renamed them love knots.”
Nonna Assunta’s Love Knots
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. superfine caster sugar
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt
seasoning (i.e. cinnamon, rosemary, lemon peel)
Method
Boil 1 cup water in a saucepan with a pinch of salt, 1 tsp. sugar, a spoonful of extra-virgin olive oil, a sprig of rosemary, and the peel of an untreated lemon. Pour a cup of flour quickly into the boiling water and then pour the contents onto a marble or washable worksurface. Work it first with a wooden spoon (because it’s hot), then continue manually until the dough becomes smooth and silky. Shape long sticks and make knots. Leave the knots to rest on a cloth for 1-2 hours. Fry in boiling oil and dust with sugar and cinnamon while still hot.
Residence Hotel Al Belvedere (Open year round)
Via Santa Lucia 11, Leni/Salina (Messina)
For advice on other places to stay on the archipelago, check out the Hoteliers Association Salina Isola Verde website.