The "Cannolo di Dattilo": a treasure to be discovered

Once upon a time in Sicily, a nomadic people in search of a place to settle found it on a rocky hill overlooking Trapani. A magnificent place, so magnificent that it was said that "a pace cca si godi" (here you can enjoy peace), later named 'Paceca' by its inhabitants.

Not far from Monte San Giuliano and Marsala, Paceco, built as a feudal village, looks like a balcony over the white salt pans of Trapani and the Egadi Islands.

The water furrows, the mild climate and the fertile land allowed the cultivation of vineyards, olive groves and wheat, and the construction of "bagli" and rural villas.

The original core of the municipality of Paceco developed on a perfect orthogonal plan, which is said to have been drawn by the Jesuit architect who drew the plans for the new quarters of Madrid.

As well as salt, which has recently been granted Protected Geographical Indication status as 'Trapani sea salt', the Paceco area is famous for its red garlic from Nubia and the cartucciaru melon, both of which are included among Sicily's Slow Food presidia.

The raw material for the Sicilian cannolo, in fact, is ricotta cheese made from sheep's milk, which is then roughly processed and flavoured with black chocolate chips and a little sugar.

The peculiarity of the Dattilo cannolo is that the fried crust is very thin and narrow and allows for a large amount of ricotta to be put on the ends.

The wafer is mixed with vinegar and olive oil, fried in lard and sprinkled with icing sugar.

It is therefore a must on a gastronomic tour of the province.

Enjoy!