The Arabs introduced to Sicily the pistachio of Bronte
in the 9th-11th centuries,
here this kind of tree (Pistacia Vera) has found
an ideal habitat on the northwestern slopes of Mount Etna,
in the area around the small town of Bronte.
Here,
in particularly the extraordinary combination of the soil
and the climate means that the pistachio nuts produced
in Sicily are unique,
in fact,
much in demand from top pastries-chefs all-over the world.
No other pistachio is such a bright green colour as the
locals call it “emerald green“,
or has such a strong rich,
resinous perfume,
as precious as it is rare.
Although,
the unevenness of the land makes them very difficult to harvest.
The pistachio nut harvest takes place in the fall.
Usually,
the husks of the nuts are removed by rubbing
them together mechanically,
after which the nuts are laid on tarpaulins on the ground
and left to dry in the sun for three or four days.
The pistachio nuts in their shells are then transferred to dark,
dry rooms,
where they are stored prior to being packed.
In the case of shelled nuts,
the fruit is exposed briefly to high-pressure steam,
then passed through rollers which remove the thin skin
around the nuts.
Finally, they are roasted.
However,
local pastries-chefs produce mouth wateringly delicious
specialities using these nuts:
do not miss the “fillette” (cookies rather like large round
sponge fingers),
and chocolate-flavored pralines;
“olivette” (little balls made of chopped pistachio nuts and sugar),
and “croccanti” (pistachio nut-brittle),
“torrone” (nougat) in bars,
or small, wrapped, bite-sized “torroncini”.
Pistachio festival in Bronte
Town hall number: 095/7747229
Local pistachio is free to taste on the stalls.
A “sweet” weekend,
discover the secrets of the “green gold” from the Etna area.
During the event,
guided tours of the historic center of Bronte,
exhibitions, conferences, shows and other collateral events will be organized.