Scacciu (dried fruit)

Hobby for the gluttons

Scaccio is a mix of dried fruit, roasted chickpeas (“calia”), nuts, pistachios, peanuts and almonds served in the traditional cone of rough paper. Its consummation is a ritual during the whole year, before and after richer meals, as on Christmas Eve or before the feast of Saint Rosalia.

 

The “semenza”, i.e. pumpkin seeds still closed and well salted, requires a great deftness to be tasted: two fingers to hold the hull still, teeth to clasp it and open it, lips to taste the salt and the tongue to extract the tasty green and crunchy seed. Kids learn very early and never forget. The scaccio is also called passatiempo, since its consumption is not related to the concept of meal but more to an appetizer to taste in the company of friends.

(Foto ©Vincenzo Puglisi per Crocche.it)