Sicilian dishes you should not miss

Arancina — the saffron rice ball, filled with ragù or with butter and ham, fried to a golden crust. In Palermo it is feminine and round; it is the food of the markets and of Saint Lucy's day. Palermo · markets, rosticcerie

Panelle and pane ca meusa — chickpea-flour fritters in a sesame roll; and veal spleen, boiled and tossed in lard, "schietta" with lemon only or "maritata" with caciocavallo and ricotta. A legacy of the Jewish butchers of pre-1492 Palermo. Palermo · Vucciria, Capo

Sfincione — the tall, soft focaccia with tomato, onion, anchovies, caciocavallo and breadcrumbs: Palermo's pizza before pizza existed. Palermo · Bagheria

Cassata and cannolo — sweetened sheep's-milk ricotta: in the cassata beneath green marzipan and candied fruit, of Arab and convent origin; in the cannolo inside a fried shell, filled to order. Palermo · Cappello, Spinnato

Pasta all'eoliana and stuffed totani — capers, olives, cherry tomatoes and island basil; flying squid stuffed with breadcrumbs and pine nuts. Lipari, Salina

Pane cunzato — "dressed" bread: tomato, anchovies, capers, oregano, olive oil, primosale cheese. At Lingua, on Salina, it is a disc as big as a pizza, eaten looking at the sea. Salina · Da Alfredo

Malvasia delle Lipari — the sweet wine of the Aeolians, from sun-dried grapes; DOC since 1973. To be drunk with capers and almond pastries, or dry, at anchor, at sunset. Salina · Hauner, Caravaglio, Capofaro

Granita with brioche — black mulberry, almond, fig, pistachio: the Sicilian summer breakfast, with a brioche col tuppo to dunk. Everywhere · on board the hostess makes it

Favignana tuna — bottarga grated over pasta, grilled ventresca, fried lattume, ficazza: the culture of the tonnara on a plate. Favignana

Fish cous cous and busiate with pesto trapanese — Arab cous cous rolled by hand and soaked in fish broth; busiate twisted around a rod, with red garlic from Nubia, almonds, tomato and basil. San Vito Lo Capo, Trapani

Marsala and Zibibbo — Marsala Vergine, aged at least five years, born with the English in 1773 and made great by the Florios; Passito di Pantelleria from Zibibbo grapes dried on racks. Marsala · Florio, Donnafugata, Pellegrino