''Maccu'', (also known as ''maccu di fave'', and sometimes referred to as macco), is a Sicilian

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ing ...

and also a foodstuff that is prepared with dried and crushed

fava beans ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Varieti ...

(also known as broad beans) and

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

as primary ingredients. Several dishes exist using maccu as a foodstuff, such as ''Bruschetta al maccú'' and ''Maccu di San Giuseppe'', the latter of which may be served on

Saint Joseph's Day Saint Joseph's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Joseph or the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, is in Western Christianity the principal feast day of Saint Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary and legal father of Jesus Christ, celebrated on 19 March. ...

in Sicily.

History

Maccu is a

peasant food Peasant foods are dishes eaten by peasants, made from accessible and inexpensive ingredients. In many historical periods, peasant foods have been stigmatized. They may use ingredients, such as offal and less-tender cuts of meat, which are not ...

and

staple food A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and ...

that dates back to

ancient history Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...

. The

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

people may have invented or introduced the foodstuff, which was created from crushed fava beans. Although maccu's availability in contemporary times in Sicily is generally rare, it is still occasionally served in restaurants there.

Ingredients and preparation

Primary ingredients include fava beans, fennel seeds and sprigs, olive oil, salt and pepper. Additional ingredients may include tomato, onion and pasta. The soup is sometimes cooled until it solidifies, then cut into strips, breaded in flour and fried in olive oil. Some preparations of maccu may use fava beans that have been

purée A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., apples ...

Dishes that use maccu

''Bruschetta al maccú'' is a simple dish prepared with

bruschetta Bruschetta (, , ) is an antipasto (starter dish) from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese. In Italy, brusche ...

and maccu that may be served as an appetizer or lunch dish. ''Maccu di San Giuseppe'' (English: maccu of St. Joseph) is a traditional Sicilian dish that consists of various ingredients and maccu. The dish may be prepared on

in Sicily, to clear out pantries and allow room for the spring's new crops of vegetables. In

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, St. Joseph is regarded by many as their patron saint, and in many

Italian-American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, w ...

communities, thanks are given to St. Joseph ("San Giuseppe" in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

) for preventing a famine in Sicily during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. According to legend, there was a severe drought at the time, and the people prayed for their patron saint to bring them rain. They promised that if he answered their prayers, they would prepare a large feast to honor him. The rain did come, and the people of Sicily prepared a large banquet for their patron saint. The fava bean was the crop which saved the population from starvation and is a traditional part of St. Joseph's Day altars and traditions. Giving food to the needy is a St. Joseph's Day custom. ''Rigatoncini con maccu di fave'' is a Sicilian dish prepared with ''rigatoncini'' pasta (a smaller version of

rigatoni Rigatoni () are a form of tube-shaped pasta of varying lengths and diameters originating in Italy. They are larger than penne and ziti, and sometimes slightly curved. If so, they are not as curved as elbow macaroni. Rigatoni characteristically ...

) and fava bean paste.

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pk63U0ppWYAC&pg=PA7 , title=Food Culture in the Mediterranean , publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group , author=Helstosky, Carol , year=2009 , page=7 , isbn=978-0313346262 {{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fq_TgTSm5WoC&pg=PA581 , title=The Italian Food Guide , publisher=Touring Editore , author1=Touring Club of Italy , author2=Touring Club Italiano , year=2002 , page=581 , isbn=8836525385 {{cite book , url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000rile , url-access=registration , title=The Oxford Companion to Italian Food , publisher=Oxford University Press , author=Riley, Gillian , year=2007 , pag
501
, isbn=978-0198606178 {{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RyP8b5n0Y7kC&pg=PA218 , title=The Renaissance Guide to Wine and Food Pairing , publisher=Penguin , author1=DiDio, Tony , author2=Zavatto, Amy , year=2003 , page=218 , isbn=1440650985 {{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KOzYAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA262 , title=Food History Almanac , publisher=Rowman & Littlefield , author=Clarkson, Janet , year=2013 , page=262 , isbn=978-1442227156 {{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fnveo8cyxKkC&pg=PA329 , title=International Dictionary of Food and Cooking , publisher=Taylor & Francis , author=Sinclair, Charles Gordon , year=1998 , page=329 , isbn=1579580572 {{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NnobKmioiVMC&pg=PA44 , title=Cucina Rustica , publisher=Harper Collins , author1=La Place, Viana , author2=Kleiman, Evan , year=2011 , pages=44–45 , isbn=978-0060935115 {{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xsgPxL4b8GsC&pg=PA53 , title=Sicily , publisher=New Holland Publishers , author1=Facaros, Dana , author2=Pauls, Michael , year=2008 , page=53 , isbn=978-1860113970 {{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ShFHAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Maccu%22+food , title=Pomp and sustenance: twenty-five centuries of Sicilian food , publisher=Knopf , author=Simeti, Mary Taylor , year=1989 , pages=9–10, isbn=9780394568508 Italian soups Cuisine of Sicily Ancient dishes Peasant food

History

Ingredients and preparation

Dishes that use maccu

See also

References