The Iris and Arancini Festival is finally back after a long pandemic. Here's when and where it will be held.
Iris and Arancini Festival, between sweet and savory
The Iris and Arancini Festival returns to Tremestieri Etneo, in the province of Catania. 31 5 from October to November 2023. The festival was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it was no longer possible to organize it. But this year, the sixth edition will take place, much to the delight of lovers of our local cuisine. The chefs are already ready to whip up their delicacies.
The protagonists are theiris andarancino Two symbols of the city of Catania. The iris is a typical Sicilian dessert, with a crispy fried pastry on the outside and ricotta, or chocolate or white cream inside. There's also a version with pistachio cream, the classic green gold of Etna. Meanwhile, the arancino catanese is a must-try at the city's hot tables, like the little onions, cartocciate, Sicilian, and Bolognese. These are breaded and fried rice cones, 8–10 cm in diameter, usually filled with meat sauce, ragù, butter, or spinach. A vegan version is also available.
Iris and Arancini Festival: Where will it be held this year?
The party will be held in Tremestieri Etneo at the Salvatore D'acquisto park, adjacent to the town's main church at the foot of Mount Etna. The park is located at Via Trapani, 10, in Tremestieri Etneo. The festival will be held, as previously mentioned, from Tuesday, October 31st to Sunday, November 5th 2023During the event, in addition to tasting the various products, it will be possible to drink excellent local wine.
There will also be stalls selling various typical products from our city and beyond. Crafts and handmade goods are all ingredients for a few cheerful evenings, hoping for the mild weather that's been sweeping the city this season. The evenings will also be enlivened by shows and live music. Another sign that we're slowly returning to normalcy, after years of restrictions and fear for our own neighbors.
Some little curiosities about the iris
Everything has been said about the arancino, including the controversy over its name. For the people of Catania, the arancino is masculine because of its pyramid shape, which so closely resembles the shape of Mount Etna. While for the people of Palermo, it's called arancina, due to the shape of oranges. But few know the origins of the iris; they can be traced back to Antonio Lo VersoA pastry chef from Palermo who prepared this delight on the occasion of the premiere of the opera Iris by Pietro Mascagni, which was performed in 1901. It is said that Lo Verso had seen all 15 performances of the opera, and that he was a true expert.
The irises were so successful that he even gave that name to his coffee. And that's how the Iris pastry shop on Via Roma 148 It became a go-to for those who wanted to enjoy a coffee accompanied by a delicious dessert. Although it originated in Palermo, it's widely prepared throughout the island. The fried iris from Catania, for example, is a guaranteed delight. All you have to do is rush to the festival to try them.
