Olive to Oil: Sicily During the Harvest

We begin in Catania, made an UNESCO site for its late Baroque buildings. Our late afternoon walk allows us to explore up close the city’s famed architecture before dinner tonight in town with a local fisherman and members of the local chapter of Slow Food (participation to be confirmed). Slow Food is a non-profit organization founded in 1986 that promotes “good, clean and fair food” (the motto of Slow Food International). Today, Slow Food includes upwards of 100,000 members in more than 150 countries.

Our dinner tonight features recipes from nearby Slow Food Presidia (worldwide initiatives to support quality production methods that are at risk of extinction) such as prosciutto from black pigs raised in the Nebrodi Park, Magghia Masculina (anchovies caught with a traditional fishing method) and Ragusano cheese from the Modicana breed of cow.

We start our day with an exploration of the acclaimed fish, vegetable and fruit market of Catania, an exciting experience for its colorful arrays and the locals that meet here for their daily grocery shopping. Then we’ll transfer to Taormina, which boasts the second largest Greek theatre in Sicily (after the one in Siracusa). Easily one of the most picturesque of Sicily’s hilltop towns, Taormina is worth dedicating some time. We’ll visit the Greek theater, ample the charming stone streets and admire the beautiful panoramas.

Another highlight today will be learning about the distinctive red grapes Nerello Cappuccio or Nerello Mascalese naturally grown on the slopes of Volcano Etna and transformed into noble nectars that we’ll of course have the chance to taste during our tour. Tonight we’ll enjoy another delectable meal featuring more Sicilian recipes in Catania before our tomorrow’s departure.

En route to Agrigento, we stop by another UNESCO site in Piazza Armerina: the ancient Roman villa of the Casale. This site boasts one of the most complex Roman mosaics still intact in the world, which dates back to the fourth century A.D.. For sure, this is one of the highlights of the day so we’ll take our time here before continuing on to Agrigento area after lunch and check in at our agriturismo for the night.

Tonight we’ll meet the owner, a wonderful opportunity to absorb the nuances of this region through the words and life experience of a life-long local! An agriturismo is a unique type of accommodation in Italy. Typically, it features room and board in a farmhouse, which has been either partially or totally transformed to provide accommodation and meals.

Our evening meal will be unforgettable, sourced mostly locally. It is a matter of fact that Sicilian cuisine represent one of the quintessential expressions of the Mediterranean diet, now listed as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage site, specifically in its Italian, Spanish, Greek and Moroccan expressions.

Today we’ll spend time with the local family and taste their organic olive oil while being part of the exciting experience of the harvest. Over a delicious lunch with the family, we’ll learn how this magnificent product is made here and share stories of Sicilian recipes and traditions.

Other highlights include a visit to the local mill for a tasting of the olive oil from the just-picked olives and a walk followed by dinner on own in Agrigento. Please ask us for suggestions.    

Visit another UNESCO site: the Valley of the Greek Temples and travel back in time as we discover the Akragas, one of the most important Greek colonies in the fifth century BC.

En route to one of the most affluent of Sicilian provinces, Ragusa, we have the opportunity to visit a winery and enjoy a wine tasting and lunch. Ragusa is our next destination, a UNESCO site  famous for its Baroque architecture, best on display in ancient Ibla, the lower part of town, which is well worth seeing. Tonight’s dinner is another great opportunity to savor local recipes.

If you like chocolate then you’ll love our day as it starts with a visit and tasting to the oldest pastry shop of Sicily, located in the UNESCO site of Modica. Here, you’ll learn how chocolate is made following an ancient Aztec recipe. Having learning it directly from the Aztecs, the Spanish in turn brought it to Sicily during their presence in this area. Allow some time to enjoy a walk in this enchanting town before we return to our hotel.

Return to Ragusa for more downtime and lunch on own. In the afternoon we’ll make our way toward Donnalucata, on Sicily’s southern coast where we’ll be able to soak up the sun and breathe in the fresh air in this lovely sea town. En route, we’ll stop in at a masseria (historical Sicilian farmhouse) to meet a local cheese maker and hear about the traditional methods of production of dairy, including ricotta and Ragusano Dop, another Slow Food Presidium made from the milk of the native Modicana cow.

Keep an eye out for this cheese as the restaurant in Donnalucata where we’ll enjoy dinner tonight specializes in mostly-local ingredients. Here the local Sicilian chef will show us a traditional recipe, which we’ll be able to savor alongside the other delicacies from some of the area’s most extraordinary local food makers. We’ll also share the meal with an Italian food writer who can tell us about her experiences living in this corner of Italy after many years residing in Paris, Boston, and various points across Italy.

Our food journey will conclude tonight with a wide array of local recipes, such as caponata (sweet and sour cold salad of eggplant, celery, bell pepper, capers, olives, and tomato sauce) and cannoli (pastries filled with ricotta), matched with regional wines. Here, let’s celebrate and share our great memories of an unforgettable tour and, who knows, maybe also sing along some Sicilian songs!

Catch our group shuttle to Catania airport.