Italy
Photo: Gmelfi, Public domain, croppedArancini
arancini / arancine
/aranˈtʃiːni/ah-ran-CHEE-nee
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- When
- Snack
- Taste
- Savory
- Made with
- RiceBeefDairy & cheese
History
Arancini are balls or cones of rice, stuffed, breaded and deep-fried. The name means "little oranges" because of their shape and colour. The most common filling is ragù with peas and cheese, or ham and mozzarella. Western Sicily, around Palermo, makes them round and calls them arancine, feminine; the east, around Catania and Messina, makes them conical, like Mount Etna, and says arancini, and the argument over the right name is a running joke on the island. Rice and saffron are linked to the Arab rule of Sicily in the 10th and 11th centuries. In Palermo they are eaten in great numbers on 13 December, the feast of Saint Lucy.
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