Palermo: Pastry, Gastronomy, and Delicious Shopping

It is indeed impossible to resist the allure of the many specialties peeking out from the windows of traditional pastry shops and cafes in the historic center, in this city so rich in monuments and cultural beauties.

A must-visit stop is, for example, the Antica Pasticceria Mazzara, located at Via Generale Magliocco 15, a vast venue between the center and La Cala del Porto, where people line up to buy the typical ricotta-filled cannoli garnished with candied orange peel.

And sumptuous cassate in the dazzling colors of the glaze and candied fruit, with a soft center made from a mixture of ricotta, liqueur, cinnamon, chocolate, and sponge cake.

A precious legacy of Arab domination; a sweet from One Thousand and One Nights, able to delight even the most demanding palates, it is offered here in all sizes: from small round cassatine to large ones with geometric shapes.

Another symbol of local pastry is the Frutta di Martorana, very colorful sweets with a core of almond paste, also known as “pasta reale,” shaped like figs, oranges, medlars, peaches, pears, watermelons, mandarins. So shiny, perfect, and inviting that they look real.

Legend has it they were invented by the nuns of the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, known as La Martorana.

You can find excellent ones at Pasticceria Massaro, in Via Ernesto Basile 24, where they are sold by weight and also in convenient travel packages.

Pasta reale is an ingredient featured in many Palermo sweets, some linked to religious celebrations, like Easter, when you find very sweet Lambs covered in white glaze resting on small trays with a victory flag.

To find them, you can go to Oscar, at Via Migliaccio 39, where they are sold by weight, along with the fragrant Buccellato, a type of ring-shaped cake with figs, dried fruit, and Sicilian spices, and piles of mini pastries with almond and pistachio flakes.