What to eat in San Vito Lo Capo
All the people who ruled the island (romans, greeks, arabs, normans...), left something of their own, like culture, customs and traditions, ingredients to use in the kitchen!
The sicilian people therefore allowed new culinary habits, crops and new utensils to enter quietly into their homes and noble palaces, giving rise to unique delicacies.
Your experience in San Vito Lo Capo is complete only if after having been on the beach, having made boat trips to the Riserva dello Zingaro, some fantastic walks at dawn towards the Tonnara del Secco, if after seeing the sunset at Isulidda, you then eat the most traditional and good foods, based on garlic, almonds, fish ...
In our Hotel we do not have a restaurant but we are always ready to chat with our guests and suggest the best restaurants in Trapani province where you can try some of these "masterpieces":
It is a very common dish in North Africa, also famous thanks to the Cous Cous Fest which takes place every year in San Vito Lo Capo, the last week of September.
It can be made with meat and vegetables, but here we prepare it with fish.
The couscous requires a really long preparation, it is cooked with love and a lot of patience!
Now I'll tell you the recipe ...
In a terracotta dish the semolina is combined with water (here we say "incocciare") to form larger granules of semolina, and then add oil, salt, garlic, finely chopped onion, parsley and some spices, like pepper and cinnamon, but also almonds to give this wonderful food a rich and particular taste.
Thus begins the slow steaming process at very low heat which gives the semolina an unmistakable aroma.
Once ready the fish soup is added.
The larger pieces of fish used for the soup are placed over the couscous to garnish the dish and once at the table you can add, to taste, another bit of soup but also lemon and a squid fry.
This is the recipe of grandmothers, thanks to which families met on Sunday and on feast days to eat all together and which you can find in the best restaurants in San Vito Lo Capo.
First of all, what is a "busiata"?
It is a typical pasta that in ancient times was made thanks to the "buso", which is a wooden stick that gives the pasta a spiral shape.
The "pesto alla trapanese instead", takes origin from the "pesto alla genovese".
A long time ago the people of Genoa were famous for being great sailors and they stopped very often in the port of Trapani, in the center of the Mediterranean.
They then imported their pesto, with basil as a basic ingredient.
The inhabitants of Trapani reworked that pesto making it more compatible with the products of their land: tomatoes, almonds and garlic.
The result is therefore a very tasty pesto to eat every day!
The result is a very tasty pesto that remains trapped in the folds of the dough making it so very seasoned.
It is one of the poor meals of Sicilian gastronomic culture.
It was "invented" in people's homes that they could not afford excellent raw materials, they enriched the dishes with odiri and scents of the sea, such as sardines.
Now the cunzato bread is a much richer meal because it is prepared tomato, Sicilian cheese, anchovies, oregano and olive oil.
You will find it every morning for breakfast at the Piccolo Mondo!
Arancine are stuffed rice balls which are coated with bread crumbs and then deep fried.
They are usually filled with ragù (meat and tomato sauce) or mozzarella.
In Italian literature, Inspector Montalbano, the main character of Andrea Camilleri’s detective novels, is a well-known lover of arancine.
The success of the book series and the television adaptation has contributed to making this dish known outside of Italy.
Whether it is smoked swordfish, bottarga or tuna tartare, the tuna products in the province of Trapani are very good and worth trying.
You must know that long ago, in our sea there were many tuna, which is why they made the "Tonnare", where tuna were fished and then sold.
Tuna over the years has become a special ingredient for restaurants: from the tuna we have the "bottarga" with which we make a very good pasta, we can make the "tartare" for those who like raw fish, tuna can be smoked and becomes an excellent appetizer.
Tuna is really a very special fish as you can see because you can do so many things!
Caponata is a sweet and sour recipe made with vinegar, almonds, eggplant, tomato sauce and it is widespread throughout the Mediterranean Sea, it is generally used today as a side dish or appetizer.
Since the 18th century it was eaten with bread and was not made with eggplants but with the fish that only the aristocracy could afford to buy.
The people, unable to afford the expensive fish, replaced it with the cheap aubergines. And this is the recipe that has come down to us.
Some also claim that the name of the dish derives from the "caupone", taverns of the sailors.
The cannoli are a symbol of Sicily in the world: crispy wafer, filled with fresh ricotta cheese embellished with chocolate.
You can also find cannoli for breakfast here!
It is a dessert that was prepared in the 70s here in San Vito Lo Capo.
Caldofreddo means "Hot" and "Cold" because the freshness of the melted chocolate is mixed with the freshness of the cream.
It is more than an ice cream, in fact it is often eaten for dinner by the people of San Vito.
Do you know why?
In addition to the cream there is a fresh ice cream at the base (hazelnut or chocolate according to your preference), then a soft sponge cake soaked in rum, peanuts and hot chocolate.
If you have read up to this point, you understand that it is worth coming to San Vito Lo Capo.
Because in addition to a fabulous sea, the possibility of doing many excursions in the uncontaminated nature, to the boat trips, in San Vito Lo Capo you can enjoy unique dinners!
Are you coming to see us? Our Hotel is open from April to October.
I'm Marco, how can I help you?
