The cuisine
Lipari retains many traditions both in terms of cuisine and confectionery specialties. Obviously the ways of cooking the various species of fish enhance the local cuisine.
The “gnotta of the scorpion and grouper fish”, the stuffed squid, the anchovies a beccafico, the swordfish rolls, the risotto with cuttlefish ink and the spaghetti with the aromas of local herbs, with sea limpets or with octopus.
But many others are the typical dishes of Aeolian cuisine with the use of aubergines, courgettes and poultry.
Desserts
In addition to the great variety of flavors of granitas and ice creams, the local tradition offers “nacatoli” made with almond paste: delicious sheets of flour and eggs, enriched with a very sweet filling of almonds, sugar, cinnamon, mandarin and malvasia.
They are worked by hand and baked in the oven to be served after meals with Malvasia or zibibbo; the “cassatieddi” prepared with a filling of raisins, almonds, hazelnuts, dried figs and sugar, spiced with a pinch of cinnamon and malvasia; sesamini with Malvasia di Lipari, pumpkin pasticciotti filled with the relative jam; the “spicchiteddi” made with 00 flour, sugar, almonds, cinnamon and cooked wine.
They have a characteristic spiral shape, a brown color and only deliciously crunchy; the delicious gigi sweets with a spherical shape, made with a dough that is then fried and covered with a glaze of mulled wine and sugar.
They have a unique flavor and scent in the world. Cannoli, typical Sicilian sweets among the best known in the world. Its wafer is crumbly and crunchy, while the inside – according to tradition – must be filled with ricotta cream; all the pastry chefs of the Aeolian Islands also have variations.