The Mineo cannolo seems to be one of the most appreciated for the delicacy of its filling. Here, then, is everything you need to know about Mineo's artisan cannoli and where to taste it in its most classic version.
The cannolo is a Sicilian artisan dessert that has a very long history and for some years it can boast the recognition of PAT acronym of Traditional Agri-Food Products. It is a wafer of dough similar to shortcrust pastry but much thinner, which is fried in hot oil and then left to cool before being filled with a dough made of sheep's milk ricotta, sugar, chocolate drops, candied fruit, vanilla.
Actually this is it more traditional recipe, the one that is fully respected in Mineo, but around the world and in history there are different variations, which include, for example, the use of chantilly cream, pistachios, hazelnuts and much more. In the cannoli the quality of the ricotta that is used is one of the key elements for such an amazing result: not only must it be strictly goat but it must also be very fresh, so as to give the cannoli a unique flavour. In Mineo the cannoli is prepared in various pastry shops and artisan workshops but tradition has it that it is also the Sunday dessert, to be made strictly at home.
The history of Mineo's artisan cannoli
The origins of the artisan cannoli of Mineo, as well as of the Sicilian cannolo in general, are quite obscure and there are no certain data that can unequivocally attest to the first realization. What is certain is that his story dates back thousands of years, given that already in 70 BC Cicero told of being particularly struck, during his trip to Sicily, by this shell of cooked flour filled with a milk cream that had delighted his palate .
The use of ricotta mixed with sugar, on the other hand, is certainly due to the dominations Arab since they were the first to create this mix and serve it in the banquets of the sultans. According to some legends, the composition of the cannoli as we know it today is due to some cloistered nuns who revisited an ancient Saracen recipe; others to the commoners who, during the carnival festivities, used to organize pranks and propose phallic-shaped sweets, to which the two ends were then cut off to make them more presentable. Probably the latter story is the one that comes closest to reality since in the Middle Ages the cannolo was prepared above all during the carnival period.
How Mineo's artisan cannoli is prepared
The recipe of Mineo's artisan cannoli is very faithful to that of tradition, therefore the recipe is used for its composition ricotta. The wafer is prepared using some basic ingredients such as type 00 flour to which a pinch of sugar is added (the wafer, in fact, must not be too sweet but must create a contrast with the filling which is particularly sweet), salt, lard and eggs.
Once the dough is prepared, some are used pieces of cane to wrap it and give it the specific shape, and finally everything is fried in hot oil. The filling, on the other hand, is prepared with sheep's milk ricotta which is drained for a whole night and then mixed with sugar and rigorously dark chocolate drops. To top it all off, you can use different ones seals but the most typical are candied orange peel or pistachio grain.
Where you can taste the real artisan cannoli of Mineo
By now the Sicilian cannoli can be tasted throughout the island and beyond, given that globalization has meant that the cannoli is really known and appreciated all over the world. However in Mineo this typical dessert is prepared according to the most ancient tradition and therefore it can be enjoyed today as in the past in all the local pastry shops.
Unlike in the past, however, it is now a specialty that is offered at any time of the year, also thanks to its undisputed goodness. Furthermore, the tradition persists in the homes of the inhabitants of Mineo of preparing cannoli in an artisanal way, especially in conjunction with the main holidays. Obviously, every Mineina family has its own typical recipe and its secrets for making it, so you may be lucky enough to taste different but equally good versions.
What to see in Mineo and surroundings
A culinary tour to taste the artisanal cannoli of Mineo can also be the right excuse to visit this beautiful place, which is very interesting not only from a historical point of view but also from a cultural and landscape point of view. For example, a must-see attraction is the Serravalle Castle, which dominates the entire municipal area and is a building that dates back to around 1200.
The historic center, made up of small and suggestive alleys, also houses some very interesting monuments such as Capuana Palace, which was the house in which the script was born and raised, and today houses a museum dedicated to him as well as the Civic library. From the point of view of religious architecture, there are some very important examples such as the Church of Sant'Agrippina, whose construction dates back to 263 AD, even if the land on which it was actually built was that occupied by a pre-existing pagan temple. Then there are some sites of archaeological and naturalistic interest among which one cannot fail to include the Palike reserve which hosts not only the local fauna and flora, but is also a land in which various archaeological finds have been found which date back to the first century AD
