Arancini

Arancini are a typical speciality of Sicilian cuisine.

They are fried or, less commonly, baked rice balls, having a diameter of 8-10 cm, filled usually with ragù (meat sauce), but also with tomato sauce, mozzarella, peas, and other things. On the outside they are simply coated with breadcrumbs.

The main type of arancino sold in cafes is an arancino con ragù, which has meat, peas, rice AND mozzarella (typically). Often many cafes will also have arancine con burro (arancine with butter), and there are even many cafes that have a varied range of specialty arancine freshly made. (i.e. arancina con funghi (mushrooms), arancina con melanzane (eggplant)...)

The name derives from their typical colour, which reminds the one of an orange (the Italian word for "orange" is "arancia", and in Sicilian, "arancine" means "little oranges"). "Arancini" is masculine plural, the singular is "arancino", but there's a feminine name too, especially used in western Sicily: "arancine" (plural), "arancina" (singular).

There are a number of local variants, different in both fillings and shapes.

In Northern Italian cuisine, "supplì" are similar, but typically are larger, have fewer vegetables, use gravy, and the rice used is generally leftover risotto rather than specially made.

In popular culture

In Italian literature, Inspector Montalbano, the main character of Andrea Camilleri's novels, is a well-known lover of arancini and he has contributed to making this dish known outside of Italy.

External links

* [http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=9 Step-by-step illustrated recipe in English]
* [http://italianfood.about.com/od/fritterssnacks/a/blr0030.htm A recipe and links to others]