There are issues that immediately flare up the tempers of the people of Catania. In some cases, just one word—or rather, a vowel—is enough to turn a quiet conversation into a clash of titans. And when that vowel is the one following the letters arancin-*, the atmosphere can truly become warlike. In short, the people of Catania cannot tolerate the feminine form of arancino. And don't even try to challenge them, because among their many lighthearted but harsh remarks, they will surely label you a traitor to a sacred tradition. Nanni Moretti said that “Words are important”The people of Catania go deeper: vowels are important. It's enough for just one of them to be replaced by another to be prosecuted by the court of Catania's sound principles. What if we called it arancinu?
Get the vowel wrong and it's an immediate clash
“They warned me that in Catania they have to be called arancino, and the first time I had to order one, I was almost on the verge of a panic attack. I'm from central Sicily, not even from Palermo (and thank goodness for that, otherwise I wouldn't have even set foot in Catania, let alone lived there for five years). But here in Caltanissetta, they're called arancina. Every time I order, I have to concentrate so as not to get the final vowel wrong.” Clara, student
Because of this, the people of Catania have often mistaken me for a Palermitan. Honestly, I have an innate distrust of Palermitans and Palermo. But that didn't save me from being lynched. I was in Aci Trezza and, overcome by hunger, I entered a souvenir shop to ask where I could eat a good arancina (that's what I've always called it and that's what I'll continue to call it). Then I dared to utter the unpronounceable. All hell broke loose. The shop owner, laughing, began insulting me. She grabbed a broom and, still laughing, told me to leave her shop. She didn't want traitors there. Her daughter rushed to the drinks display, seeking proof of their rightness. In fact, even a well-known beer brand had adopted the name "arancino" for their latest campaign: they were on the side of right, I was now destined for the guillotine in the public square. I laughed a lot, we all laughed a lot. But I can tell you... I can assure you that beneath all that laughter, the atmosphere was tense, seriously.” Giuseppe, tourist
The anti-conflict compromise: from arancina to arancinu
And it's not just the stories of unfortunate arancino eaters that confirm the Catanians' feelings about the name of this fried delicacy. A few months ago, the famous Catanian pastry shop Savia decided to replace the name on the labels of what until recently were labeled "arancine." The use of the feminine ending in the center of Catania couldn't go unnoticed, especially since social media has given the people of Catania the opportunity to express their opinions on the matter.
Below, Alessandro and Claudio Lombardo, owners of the Savia pastry shop, explain the reason for their choice. "Frankly, we still believe it's called arancina not because it originated in Palermo, but because, according to my grandfather and uncles, the name comes from the shape of an orange. Hence, 'arancina.' We never wanted to change the name to remain Faithful to the family tradition. Then Facebook came along, and we were inundated with comments of all kinds. Things like: "You're shameful," "Let's shut down Savia," "Let's put gasoline on them," "Let's boycott them." Then this situation spread like wildfire, and other Facebook pages and groups sided with these opinions. So we talked among ourselves, brothers, and we decided on arancinu, as they say in Catania." But it wasn't a sudden decision, say the owners of Savia.
The protest also comes from the USA: “It's called arancino!”
In fact, “after two, three years of comments on Facebook, (we had reached the point of using “arancin”, without (final vowel) we decided to change the name on the labels to arancinu. Our grandfather and uncles had put the labels on before us. We respected the family tradition, but this led to a series of criticisms. Behind a screen, anyone becomes the champion of their own opinion. After receiving disappointments for years, we decided to put an end to this by changing the name of the arancinu. From arancina to arancinu. Frankly, the name doesn't matter; the important thing is that the product is good." But what would be the reason for such hatred?
"Why? The people of Catania feel superior to everyone else. In our opinion, they're making it a matter of parochialism, and everything the people of Palermo do is wrong. The people of Catania will never admit this. But they're making it a matter of primary importance." And the Savia's owners provide some examples to clarify how the name of the arancinu would be a matter of primary importance for the people of Catania.Even a Facebook group, run by Catania residents in the US, felt compelled to contact us by phone to express their disapproval. For them, true Catanians, it was inconceivable that a Catanian venue, and a historic Catanian venue at that, used the term arancina instead of arancino. They told us we were wrong, that we had to fix it.”
Beer, tourists, and the name of the arancinu
The issue thus extends beyond the confines of Trinacria. The latest dispute over the name "arancinu" involves the owners of Savia on one side and a well-known beer brand on the other. “They came to offer us some price lists” the owners of Savia tell their story "With their beers to pair with a different flavor of arancini. And another argument with them. They asked us if we wanted to be the face of this campaign. We were supposed to suggest a different type of arancini to pair with each type of beer. When we presented the menu, they weren't convinced by the fact that we called it an arancina. They were quite shocked and backed away.”
The debate over the name of the arancinu is a source of curiosity even for tourists from the peninsula.Italian tourists continue to wonder what the name of arancinu is. They tell us that in one Sicilian city they've heard it called arancino, in another arancina. They never know what to call it and can't explain the difference. And there they are, telling the story. Foreigners, however... the Lombardo brothers continue “they call it as they read it in the tourist guides they always carry with them. It says there that you absolutely have to eat arancinu, and that's what they come for. Even though they always have trouble pronouncing the name. Anyway, they call it what the guidebooks say.” Savia's owners will be tired of having to continue giving explanations. "No, not at all. For us, it's a way to stay in touch with our customers. We like to explain that there are differences between eastern and western Sicily. We're objective; we realize that. In some areas, the name arancinu is arancina, and in others, arancino. That's all."
Recipe differences: the Etna arancini and the Conca d'Oro arancini
The issue is simple. At least for brothers Alessandro and Claudio of the Savia pastry shop. But for most people in Catania, the question of the arancinu's name is always a source of contention. But, name aside, is there really any difference between the Catania and Palermo recipes? The owners of the Savia pastry shop are the ones to respond once again. It may sound absurd, but I've never tasted a Palermo-style arancini. It's mostly for health reasons. It's a fried product, and if I don't know how something is fried, I avoid eating it. One difference, however, is definitely the use of saffron. The people of Palermo use saffron, even the buttered version, but we don't.
“I think that even the fact of not using saffron is a “Catanezzization”, it's our opinion. IThe people of Catania like to distinguish themselves from the inhabitants of other Sicilian cities, especially those of Palermo. We pass down our family tradition, which is why the rice in our arancinu is cooked without saffron. Another difference is the shape. In Palermo, there's the Conca d'Oro, so it's said that in its honor, the arancino with ragù is round. In Catania, the arancinu with ragù is pointed. It's said that it's given this shape because, when you take the first bite it comes out the boiling fire of the sauce, red like the lava of Etna. So the conical shape is a tribute to our mountain."
Arancino or arancina? The Bran intervenes.
Italy's highest authority in the field of linguistics, the Accademia della Crusca, has also weighed in on the issue of the name arancinu. Stefania Iannizzotto of the Linguistic Consulting editorial team, on its website, sheds scholarly light on the issue. traces the historical-linguistic origins of the termWill the Academy's clarifications be enough to put an end to the dispute? It's hard to say, given the lively discussions that continually erupt in the public squares, whether virtual or analogue.
