Pistachios wouldn't necessarily make you think of travel or Italy in particular. But it would if you've ever been to Bronte, Sicily the home of what is considered to be the world's best pistachios.
These are really good nuts! They are small, deep green and have so much flavor.
Sicily is the only region in Italy where pistachios thrive and in 80% of the available land in Bronte, they do just that. The lava flows from Mt. Etna make the stony ground the perfect location to grow this fruit that is considered to be far better than other areas in the world. Grown mainly on family farms the pistachios found there are famous for their emerald green color and their amazing intense taste.
Harvest time in September and October is the perfect time to visit the Sagra del Pistacchio (Feast of the Pistachio) held on the small streets and squares of Bronte's inner center. The city is filled with products made with the bright green ripe pistachio and what a treat it is to sample the incredible pistachio paste prized by chefs around the world and the pistachio liqueur, Dumante Verdenoce. This truly is the nectar of the gods. A bottle of this will be one of your most prized souvenirs of this beautiful place.
Bronte lies in the shadow of Mt. Etna only 25 miles from Catania, 40 miles from Taormina and only 100 miles from Palermo. You can easily see the best of Sicily in a week.
Take the wine trail through Sicily, start in Marsala and end in Messina. Wonderful cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, chardonnay, malvasia and moscato are just a few of the prized wines found there. Or if you are a foodie then Sicily should be on your bucket list.
Some of the olive trees there were planted by the Spanish several hundred years ago are still producing exquisite extra virgin olive oil. The Sicilian cheeses and salamis are memorable. You'll run out of time well before you run out of food and wine to sample.
Beyond the great food and wine is it's natural beauty. Filled with colorful picture postcard towns, vineyards, olive groves, castles and winding scenic roads that tell you to slow down and take it all in.
So go for the nuts but stay for the history, culture and beauty of Sicily.
These are really good nuts! They are small, deep green and have so much flavor.
Sicily is the only region in Italy where pistachios thrive and in 80% of the available land in Bronte, they do just that. The lava flows from Mt. Etna make the stony ground the perfect location to grow this fruit that is considered to be far better than other areas in the world. Grown mainly on family farms the pistachios found there are famous for their emerald green color and their amazing intense taste.
Harvest time in September and October is the perfect time to visit the Sagra del Pistacchio (Feast of the Pistachio) held on the small streets and squares of Bronte's inner center. The city is filled with products made with the bright green ripe pistachio and what a treat it is to sample the incredible pistachio paste prized by chefs around the world and the pistachio liqueur, Dumante Verdenoce. This truly is the nectar of the gods. A bottle of this will be one of your most prized souvenirs of this beautiful place.
Bronte lies in the shadow of Mt. Etna only 25 miles from Catania, 40 miles from Taormina and only 100 miles from Palermo. You can easily see the best of Sicily in a week.
Take the wine trail through Sicily, start in Marsala and end in Messina. Wonderful cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, chardonnay, malvasia and moscato are just a few of the prized wines found there. Or if you are a foodie then Sicily should be on your bucket list.
Some of the olive trees there were planted by the Spanish several hundred years ago are still producing exquisite extra virgin olive oil. The Sicilian cheeses and salamis are memorable. You'll run out of time well before you run out of food and wine to sample.
Beyond the great food and wine is it's natural beauty. Filled with colorful picture postcard towns, vineyards, olive groves, castles and winding scenic roads that tell you to slow down and take it all in.
So go for the nuts but stay for the history, culture and beauty of Sicily.
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