Sicilian Fall Festival – “Ottobrata” in Zafferana Etnea

Each year, in October, the town of Zafferana Etnea, on the foothills of Mt. Etna, just a 20 minute drive from Catania, holds the Ottobrata.  Ottobrata is a festival celebrating Sicilian food, arts and crafts, and it takes place every Sunday during the month of October.   Most of the food available for sale is typical of the season.  There are prickly pears, pomegranate, chestnuts, hazel nuts, and pistacchio. One can find the raw material and also their derivatives as creams, cakes, and pastries.  There are olives and grapes. One of my favorite foods of the season is  mostarda, made from grapes. There are craftsment displaying their goods and some may demonstrate their craft.  

Below are some pictures taken on the first Sunday of Ottobrata 2012.

Church in Piazza Umberto

Villa Comunale offers a view of the Ionian Sea – 

Sicilian Musicians and Dancers in the Traditional Costumes

Spices and herbs – I bought cardamom for my soups and learned the seeds can be eaten raw as a natural candy – they are good! 

Provolone with red peppers and basil leaves

Rame di Napoli – the name suggests they originated in Naples but this dessert is typical of the Fall season in Sicily

Mostaccioli – pastry stuffed with a mixture made of cooked wine, dried figs and almonds