Woe to say "arancine" in Catania! ☝️

As you well know, the arancini , in addition to making us famous throughout Italy, are a perennial object of dispute between Palermo and Catania.

A breaded and fried timbale of meat, rice and vegetables, the result of a centuries-old recipe (think of the period of Muslim domination for the use of rice and saffron) born as take-away food for work in the countryside or hunting trips, thanks also to its crunchy breading which allowed for excellent conservation as well as improving its portability.

The arancino is considered by Sicilians to be the most characteristic rotisserie product of their region and there is practically no city in Sicily that does not claim its origin, but the dispute is always particularly heated over the name.

The reason is the tendency to use the term "arancina" in western Sicily, seen with the round shape, which however becomes "arancino" in the eastern part, where instead it has a pointed shape, inspired by the shape of Etna.

But whether it's "ball" or "tip", male or female, it doesn't matter, the arancino remains the king of Sicilian street food and everyone agrees in recognizing its goodness.