About Sicily

Cannoli with Ricotta: The Most Popular Dessert in Sicily

Today I will talk about the most famous Sicilian pastry in the world: the cannolo.

Ancient Origins

The first to mention it was Cicero, in 70 B.C. During a trip to Sicily, he was enchanted by a “Tubus farinarius dulcissimo edulio ex lacte fartus,” or a tube of flour filled with soft cream of milk. This seems to describe the ancestor of our beloved cannoli, in a primordial version.

Evolution of the Cannoli

How did we get to the cannoli as we know it today? There are different versions, halfway between history and legend.

Arab Influence

The first hypothesis is linked to Arab domination. In fact, although ricotta is a product that has existed in Sicily for a long time, it was the Arabs who mixed it with sugar, forming an exquisite cream that is the basis of Sicilian pastry.

Caltanissetta and the Cloistered Nuns

According to another hypothesis, the cannolo was born in Caltanissetta. Some historians claim that the invention of the cannoli was the work of cloistered nuns, who modified an ancient recipe.

Harem Women of Caltanissetta

According to other historians, the women of the innumerable harems that populated the city of Caltanissetta deceived time by preparing sweet delicacies. They would have prepared a typical dessert from the Saracen tradition, adapting it with the typical ingredients of Sicily.

Carnival Tradition

Another hypothesis, strongly supported by the journalist and historian Gaetano Basile, suggests that cannoli were born as a typical dessert of the carnival period. This dessert was meant to be a joke, something fun and irreverent at the same time, and so a phallic-shaped cake was created, formed by an external rind filled with ricotta cream. It couldn’t be presented exactly the way it was designed, and that’s how cuts were made on both sides. This is how the cannoli was born as we know it today.

Modern Variations

You can taste cannoli with chocolate, pastry cream, and pistachio, but the original one is the one with ricotta…