The short version: Palermo’s street food is a fixed list of about ten things, most of them fried, eaten standing up in three markets. Learn the names below, then take an evening tour through Ballarò or the Capo with a local so you eat the good versions first. The glossary is in the order you will meet them.
The glossary
| Name | What it is | Where and when |
|---|---|---|
| Arancina | A fried rice ball, round, feminine in Palermo; ragù and peas, or butter and ham | Any friggitoria, all day |
| Panelle | Chickpea-flour fritters, thin and crisp | In a sesame roll, often with crocchè |
| Crocchè (cazzilli) | Potato croquettes with mint | Same roll as the panelle |
| Sfincione | Thick, spongy pizza with onions, tomato, caciocavallo and breadcrumbs | From a cart or a bakery, morning to evening |
| Pane con la milza (pani ca meusa) | Veal spleen and lung in a roll; “schettu” plain, “maritatu” with cheese | Vucciria and the old stands, lunch and night |
| Stigghiola | Lamb or goat intestine wound on a spring onion, grilled on the street | Evenings, by the smoke |
| Polpo bollito | Boiled octopus with lemon | Market stalls, lunchtime |
| Frittola | Fried veal scraps kept warm in a basket | Capo and Ballarò, mornings |
| Cannolo | Fried pastry tube filled with sweetened ricotta, to order | Everywhere; refuse one filled in advance |
| Pane e panelle, pane cunzato | The rolls that carry it all | The sesame roll is the mafalda |
Arancina or arancino
In Palermo and western Sicily it is the arancina, feminine and round like the orange it is named after. In Catania and the east it is the arancino, masculine and pointed like Etna. The Accademia della Crusca has ruled both correct; Sicilians have not accepted the ruling. Order whichever the sign says.
The markets
Ballarò, in the Albergheria, is the biggest and most alive, open every day, with a night street-food scene around Piazza del Carmine from Thursday to Sunday. The Capo, behind the Teatro Massimo, runs mornings until early afternoon, Monday to Saturday, and is the prettiest. The Vucciria has faded as a daytime market and revives after nine at night as a grill-and-drinks scene where the stigghiola smoke rises. On a Sunday, Ballarò is the one open.
How to eat it
Standing, with your hands, and with a beer or a glass of Nero d’Avola from the counter. Eat the arancina hot from the friggitoria; ask for the panelle and crocchè in one roll; take the meusa maritatu if you are going to try it at all. Cannoli must be filled in front of you or the shell will be soft. Prices are a few euros each; a tour of eight to ten stops costs 45 to 80 dollars and replaces dinner. Compare them on our Palermo street food tours page.
Beyond the street
The same markets feed the city’s cooking classes, where you learn the arancina and the cannolo from the inside; see Palermo cooking classes. For the east’s version of all this, see Catania food tours.
Frequently asked questions
Is Palermo street food safe to eat?
Yes at the busy stands, which turn over constantly; a guide steers you to them. Fried things are the safest of all.
Is Palermo the street food capital of Europe?
Forbes ranked it first in Europe and fifth in the world in 2012, and the title stuck.
What is the one thing to try?
Panelle and crocchè in a roll, then an arancina; the meusa is for the second visit.
Are there vegetarian options?
Panelle, crocchè, sfincione, most arancine and cannoli are vegetarian; that is half the list.
Best time of day for a tour?
Late morning for the markets in full swing, or evening for the grills and the Vucciria; both are good, and the tours run both.
Recommended experiences to book
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