One of my favourite ways to explore a new city I’m visiting is through its food. Food is one of the best ways to get to know a city and culture. Food tours can also be a fantastic way to try a bunch of different local foods when you are short on time, and can only eat so much in a day.
When I was visiting Sicily on my honeymoon this past month, I knew I needed to do a food tour to try some of the amazing foods that are unique to this region of Italy because it’s impossible to not mention street food when talking about Sicilian cuisine and culture. In fact, Forbes has ranked Palermo as one of the Top 10 Cities In The World for Street Food and you will quickly see why when you sink your teeth into the delicious street foods.
The thing about street food is that it’s something that can be intimidating as a tourist. You don’t really know where to start, or what to order, and there can often be more of a language barrier than traditional restaurants. Streaty is a tour company offering street food tours that are designed (and run) by locals throughout Italy. It’s a great way to try a ton of street food, in a welcoming and non-intimidating way, and to learn about the culture through your stomach.
When in Palermo, I joined Streaty on their Palermo Night Tour: Food Stalls and Backstreets which was a three-hour night tour that took us around the city centre to try some unforgettable food. We got to have 7 different tastings, plus 3 alcoholic beverages throughout the tour (non-alcoholic options available).
Touring with Streaty through Palermo
We started the tour at Teatro Massimo where we met our guide, Simone, who is a local to Palermo and loves everything food. She told us that there was one thing we needed to know about street food in Sicily and that’s the three “F’s” which are fatty, fried, and full of carbs. That is exactly what the next stops were.
We started the tour by going to a cute little restaurant on a backstreet where we had a delicious appetizer that was spring onions wrapped in pancetta. It was a delicious mix of flavors and paired perfectly with a local beer or lemonade.
Afterward, we headed through La Vucciria Market which is known for its busy nightlife. When there, we made two stops. One stop was at a local bakery where we tried a Sicilian-style pizza that was topped with cheese, anchovies, breadcrumbs, and onions. With our pizza, we headed to a local watering hole to try some white dessert wine to have with our pizza. The wine was sweet and strong, and it combined nicely with our savory pizza.
Next, we headed for some street stands. I loved these stops because as a tourist, I don’t know what they serve and these are the places that you don’t often know are safe to eat at, or what to order. We tried three different fried items here – rascatura croquette, crunchy chickpea fritters, and another delicious croquette.
On our fourth stop, we tried a spleen sandwich. Yes, you heard me correctly. Spleen sandwiches, the panino con la milza, are a street food that is unique to Palermo. The tour takes you to THE place for it in the city that has been serving these sammys for four generations. Now this sounds intimidating, and it is, but I promise it’s so darn tasty!
We then tried a crostino with ham and cheese, followed by a stop at a 24-hour restaurant for some stuffed brioche which was stuffed with ragu. By this point, I was full of carbs and fried foods, and very, very full.
However, a food tour wouldn’t be complete without some dessert, so we headed for some gelato. You had an option here for typical gelato, or brioche con gelato which is essentially a gelato sandwich. I tried a gelato made with local Sicilian citrus fruits because there was no chance I had room for another brioche bun.
You never leave a food tour without feeling like you need to be rolled home, but we had a chance to try so many foods I wouldn’t have known or thought to try. I wish that I had more time in Palermo so I could return to each of these new places we tried.
Booking with Streaty
If you are looking for a way to get the lay of the land when visiting Palermo for the first time and learn about the culture that surrounds the street food in the city. I can’t wait to return to Italy to do more street food tours with Streaty. The tour was informational, fun, and was the perfect evening for a little something different from your traditional meal out.
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