The cactus fruit that defines Sicily's landscape, eaten fresh, in granita, in jam, and somehow in risotto.
Plan your Italy trip →Fichi d'India (prickly pear/cactus fruit) grow wild across Sicily on the distinctive paddle-shaped cactus plants that define the island's landscape. The fruit — green, orange, or purple — is sweet, seedy, and refreshing. At sagre: fresh fruit (peeled and served cold), granita di fico d'India (Sicily's most refreshing frozen treat), marmellata (jam), liqueur, and increasingly creative culinary uses (risotto, salad dressings, desserts).
The small town of San Cono (Catania province) produces some of Sicily's finest prickly pears and hosts the most important sagra in October. The entire town celebrates around its signature fruit with tastings, cooking demonstrations, and a festa atmosphere. Combine with an autumn visit to Etna and the Baroque towns of the Val di Noto.
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