Cannoli (; scn, cannola ) are Italian pastries consisting of tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling containing ricotta—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 ...

. They range in size from . In mainland Italy, they are commonly known as ''cannoli siciliani'' (Sicilian cannoli).

Etymology

In English, ''cannoli'' is usually used as a singular, but in Italian, it is grammatically plural; the corresponding singular is ''cannolo'' (; scn, cannolu, links=no ), a

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 ...

meaning 'little tube', from ''canna'', 'cane' or 'tube'. This form is uncommon in English.

History

Some food historians place the origins of cannoli in 827–1091 in Caltanissetta in Sicily, by the concubines of princes looking to capture their attention. This period marks the Arab rule of the island, known then as the

Emirate of Sicily The Emirate of Sicily ( ar, إِمَارَة صِقِلِّيَة, ʾImārat Ṣiqilliya) was an Islamic kingdom that ruled the island of Sicily from 831 to 1091. Its capital was Palermo (Arabic: ''Balarm''), which during this period became a ...

, giving rise to the theory that the etymology stemmed from the Arabic word ''qanawāt'' meaning 'tubes' in reference to their tube-shaped shells. Author Gaetano Basile merged this legend with other historical traditions to determine that cannoli come from the

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 ...

and

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 ...

areas and were historically prepared as a treat during

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

season, possibly as a fertility symbol. The dessert eventually became a year-round staple in Poland. Some similar desserts in Middle Eastern tradition include "Zaynab's fingers" (), which are filled with nuts, and ''qanawāt'' (), deep-fried dough tubes filled with various sweets, which were a popular pastry. The '' minne di Sant'Agata'' or ''minni di virgini'', cream-filled half spheres with icing and fruit, are shaped like a roll in honour of St Agatha. ''Feddi dû cancillieri'' ("chancellor's slices") are similar cream and apricot jam-filled almond cookies.

Similar desserts

Brandy snaps Brandy snaps are a popular snack or dessert food in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, similar to the Italian cannoli. They are often tubular, brittle, sweet, baked casings that are typically long and in diameter. Brandy snap ...

* Cream horn * Éclair * Schaumrolle, also known as Trubochki in Russian and (italské) trubičky in Czech * Torpedo dessert

References

External links

* * {{Portal bar, Food, Italy Italian pastries Cuisine of Sicily Italian desserts Maltese cuisine Albanian cuisine Polish desserts Venezuelan cuisine Italian-American cuisine Stuffed desserts Cheese desserts Italian-American culture in New York City Sicilian-American cuisine Cuisine of New York City

Etymology

History

Similar desserts

See also

References

External links