The Sicani Mountain range in central southern Sicily sits between Palermo, the island's capital on the northwest coast, and Agrigento, a hilltop town in the southwest. Sicily's third-largest natural park, the mountain range's splendors far surpass the visual realm the region produces several products beloved both around the island and beyond.
The ricotta of the Sicani Mountains
The territory's rich biodiversity has given rise to exceptional ricotta and dairy products. Ricotta comprises the base of many Sicilian sweets, like cannoli and cassata, and much of the ricotta found in these sweets around the islands comes from the Sicani mountains. The pinzirita sheep, one of the endangered local species, are still milked by hand.
San Biagio Platani's Sperikotta company makes cannoli-ready sweetened ricotta cream that travels to as far as the United States. Every Epiphany (January 6), Sicilian ricotta is celebrated in Sant’Angelo Muxaro, a comune in the province of Agrigento. There, older people prepare recipes with the ricotta on stoves set up in the square, just like how it was made in the past.
Oregano, cunzato bread, and U Furnu di Zia Maria
The Sicani Mountains produce hordes of oregano – not only cultivated varieties but also spontaneous and wild ones – that's used to add a distinctly local flair to many preparations.
Pane cunzato, one of the region's most emblematic recipes, is a simple roll with a crispy crust seasoned only with oil and oregano – it seems rather basic, but it's incredibly flavorful. And no one makes pane cunzato quite like Zia Maria, who runs one of the region's oldest bakeries, the U Furnu in Sant’Angelo Muxaro.
The PGI Bivona peach
Also called montagnola peach, the Bivona peach comes in four varieties: murtiddara, bianca, agostina, and settembrina. Its scent is unlike any other peach's, and its creamy white flesh has slight red veins with a sweet and aromatic flavor. They ripen between the end of August and the first ten days of September. It's had IGP denomination since 2014, which has made Bivona the town of peaches, and locals hold a peach festival every summer.
The Valle del Platani pistachio
Sicily is famous for its pistachios – unsurprisingly, these vibrant green nuts garnish one of the island's most iconic sweets: cannoli. While pistachios from Raffadali n the province of Agrigento are also popular, the ones from the Valle del Plataniare are known for their healthy characteristics – they contain palmitoleic acid which makes the pistachio a natural antioxidant. The Pistacchio Valle del Platani association comprises 40 producers and 6 processors, and its goal is to obtain geographical recognition by demonstrating its beneficial effects.
A nursery where you can discover Sicilian biodiversity
This biodiverse region of Sicily has more than 400 types of medicinal and aromatic herbs and about 60 different types of trees. Dal Pollice Verde is an exemplification of the island's botanical diversity, uniting much of it under one roof. Owner Aldo traveled the world for 40 years before returning to his hometown San Biagio Platani to start building wooden houses and growing all sorts of plants. He restores almond and olive groves and harvests capers, lavender, ancient grains, wild fennel, Mediterranean wild thyme, infinite varieties of sage, sumac (an African spice), and so on. Aldo was one of the seven founders of the Sicilian Organic Agriculture Organization and is currently considered one of the top experts on the park's biodiversity. Anyone can spend time with him – he's happy to give tours and explain his life's work. But take note: he doesn't accept cash. Here, as in the rest of the Sicani area, the rule of barter still applies.