(This article was originally published by What the Food!, on 09/30/2013. Click here to go to the website)
I love orange. Ever since I was little, as soon as I heard the noise that came from the orange-squeezer – announcing a fresh juice – my mouth would fill with water. However, during my last vacations in Italy I discovered another kind of orange… less healthy, yes, but to-die-for – and so satisfying that can substitute a lunch. I’m talking about the arancini (or arancine, depending on the region).
In Italian, arancia means orange; arancini thus is its plural diminutive. To simplify things, it means little orange.
But I guess you already noticed it: I’m not talking about the fruit… I’m talking about the number one snack in Sicily, filled deep-fried rice ball…! The traditional filling is Bolognese sauce, mozzarella and peas, but it can vary – e.g. spinach, pistachio, ham, cheese, etc.
And don’t even think it’s just a small appetizer; we’re talking about a tennis-ball sized wonder – or, in other words, the size of an orange (Hence the name. Got it?). Moreover, it’s not made of tasteless white rice, but risotto (normally with saffron or tomatoes) deep-fried with a lot of filling…
The arancino is as popular in the south of Italy as the donuts in the States; it’s present in every corner, at anytime of the day, in any occasion. Even on the beach, with a hundred degrees – seriously, I’ve seen A LOT of people eating it in bikini.
And, well, who am I to blame…
FloCiBO 