The Signature
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ARANCINA OR ARANCINO? THAT IS THE QUESTION
By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs f you like Sicilian food, you’ve probably already tasted an arancino. But what you may not know is that a controversy over the name of this popular Sicilian snack has recently reached a boiling point thanks to its recent inclusion in the Oxford English dictionary. In 2019, the Oxford English dictionary added the word “arancini” to its latest edition, defining the term as “rice balls with savory filling, covered with breadcrumbs and fried, typically served as appetizer or snack.” So, is everyone happy about this in Sicily? Not really, because arancini is the plural of “arancino,” the masculine form of the word, which is used in Catania. However, in Palermo, this street food is known by its feminine form “arancina” (plural “arancine”) to indicate this mouthwatering specialty. That’s not the only difference;
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fried rice croquette can be both called arancino and arancina. According to Dr. Stefania Iannizzotto, a linguistic expert from the Ragusa area who lectures at the academy, arancino is actually a variation of the Sicilian term “arancinu” (small sour orange) which is a masculine noun in this distinct language. The word “arancina” is instead more used in the Italian language since feminine nouns typically denote fruit, whereas the corresponding masculine nouns stand for the tree that the fruit comes from. The first official account of arancino in Sicily comes from the Italian-Sicilian dictionary written in 1857 by Giuseppe Biundi, who used the masculine form, saying arancino was a “sweet food shaped as an orange.” But why was orange associated with arancino? According to historic sources, it is because the Arabs, who ruled Sicily between the 9th and 11th century, imported a variety of sour citrus in the island and matched a fruit name with every meatball they made! They shaped saffron rice mixed into balls to be filled with lamb meat and, as suggested by a 13th century culinary book written by Giambonino da Cremona, they named them after the fruits they resembled. In classic Arabic, oranges were called “naranj” which in Italian translates into “arancia.” Hence, arancini or arancine! Today in Sicily, arancini, which are traditionally filled with ragù (meat and tomato sauce), can be prepared with many different fillings such as spinach, pistachios, mushrooms, Arancino or arancina is a culinary treasure of the ancient Arab-Sicilian food tradition. It consists of a delicious Béchamel sauce, ham, salmon, deep-fried rice ball that is filled with ground meat, cheese and a variety of other fillings. For years, this popular street food snack has been at the center of a linguistic controversy between the Eastern and Western sides of ricotta cheese, eggplant, seafood Sicily over the gender of its name. (Photo by www.zero.eu) and even Nero di Seppia (squid ink). You can also taste a sugary version Palermitani typically make their version a round shape in their of arancini stuffed with Nutella! city, the capital of Sicily. On the contrary, Catanesi prepare Arancini can be found in panifici (bakeries), cafès, arancini in a cone-shaped form, possibly representing Mount pasticcerie (pastry shops), rosticcerie (rotisseries) or in Etna, at least for the ragù-filled version. friggitorie (rotisseries mainly selling fried food), as well as With this dictionary addition, a new battle in this never- during food festivals. Smaller-shaped arancini are served as ending linguistic war has started between the Eastern and finger food during aperitif to accompany drinks. the Western side of Sicily. Surprisingly, the British experts In conclusion, what is the best advice to avoid being decided that Catania wins over Palermo this time! disrespectful when you order this popular deep-fried rice However, over the years, there have been different opinions croquette? Just as with soccer, Sicilians take this linguistic in this culinary controversy. The Accademia della Crusca, the rivalry very seriously. The answer is simple: just say “vorrei Florence-based oldest language academy in the world that was un’arancina” if you are in Palermo and order “un arancino” if established in 1583, determined that this iconic crunchy deep- you are in Catania!
