Arancini (, , , ) are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried, and are a staple of

Sicilian cuisine Sicilian cuisine is the style of cooking on the island of Sicily. It shows traces of all cultures that have existed on the island of Sicily over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine has much in common with Italian cuisine, Sicilian food a ...

. The most common arancini fillings are: ''al ragù'' or ''al sugo'', filled with ragù (meat or mince, slow-cooked at low temperature with tomato sauce and spices), mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, and often

pea The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...

s, and ''al burro'' or ''ô burru'', filled with ham and mozzarella or besciamella. A number of regional variants exist which differ in their fillings and shape. ''Arancini al ragù'' produced in eastern Sicily have a conical shape inspired by the volcano Etna.

Etymology

''Arancini'' derives from the Sicilian plural

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

of ('orange'), from their shape and colour which, after cooking, is reminiscent of an orange. In Sicilian, '' arancini'' is grammatically plural. The corresponding singular is either the masculine '' arancinu'' or the feminine '' arancina''. The eastern side of Sicily tends to use the masculine form, while the western side tends to use the feminine form. In Italian, the masculine (pl. ''arancini'') form has become prevalent, even though the feminine form (pl. ''arancine'') can also be used.

History

Arancini are said to have originated in 10th-century Sicily, at a time when the island was under Arab rule. Its origins may therefore be possibly the same as kibbeh of the Levantine cuisine. In the cities of

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

, Siracusa, and Trapani in Sicily, arancini are a traditional food for the feast of

Santa Lucia Santa Lucia and similar terms may refer to: Architecture * Abbey of Santa Lucia, a medieval abbey in the comune of Rocca di Cambio, Abruzzo, central Italy * Monastero di Santa Lucia, Adrano, a former Benedictine monastery in Catania, Italy * S ...

on 13 December, when bread and pasta are not eaten. This commemorates the arrival of a grain supply ship on Santa Lucia's day in 1646, relieving a severe famine. Today, with the increasing popularity of this finger food in modern Italian food culture, arancini are found all year round at most Sicilian food outlets, particularly in Palermo,

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

and

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...

. The dish was traditionally created to provide a full meal to Federico II di Svevia during his hunting activities.

Ingredients and variations

The most common type of ''arancini'' sold in Sicilian cafés are ''arancini cû sucu'' (it. ''arancini al ragù''), which typically consist of meat in a tomato sauce, rice, and mozzarella or other cheese. Many cafés also offer ''arancini cû burru'' (it. ''arancini al burro'', with butter or béchamel sauce) or specialty arancini, such as ''arancini chî funci'' (it. ''arancini ai funghi'', with mushrooms), ''arancini câ fastuca'' (it. ''arancini al pistacchio'', with

pistachio The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. ''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other sp ...

s), or ''arancini â norma'' (it. ''arancini alla norma, with aubergine). In Roman cuisine, ''

supplì ''Supplì'' (; Italianization of the French word ) are Italian snacks consisting of a ball of rice (generally risotto) with tomato sauce, typical of Roman cuisine. Originally, they were filled with chicken giblets, mincemeat or (a kind of che ...

'' are similar but are commonly filled with cheese (different preparation methods and filling distribution). In Naples, rice balls are called . In a variant recipe originating among the

Italian diaspora , image = Map of the Italian Diaspora in the World.svg , image_caption = Map of the Italian diaspora in the world , population = worldwide , popplace = Brazil, Argentina, United States, France, Colombia, Canada, P ...

in Southeast Texas, the arancini are stuffed with a chili-seasoned filling.

In popular culture

In Italian literature, Inspector Montalbano, the main character of Andrea Camilleri's detective novels, is a well-known lover of arancini – especially those made by Adelina Cirrinciò, his housekeeper and cook. The success of the book series and the

television adaptation An adaptation is a transfer of a work of art from one style, culture or medium to another. Some common examples are: * Film adaptation, a story from another work, adapted into a film (it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography, ...

has contributed to making this dish known outside of Italy.

Notes

References

External links

*
Arancino recipe
at BBC Food {{Street food Italian rice dishes Palermitan cuisine Messina Cuisine of Messina Cuisine of Sicily Cuisine of New York City Stuffed dishes Italian-American culture in New York City Street food in Italy