Colorful Sicilian Marzipan Fruits: history and origin

Photo Credit: terrenormanne.it

The so called "frutta di Martorana" (Martorana's fruits), also known as "pasta reale" (royal pastry) or "marzapane" (marzipan), are typical Sicilian almond sweets that we prepare and eat only in the period before and soon after the day of November the 1s and the 2nd, which are dedicated in our Christian tradition respectively to All Saints and to the commemoration of the Deads.

Photo Credit: partecipiamo.it

 Main ingredient of these sweets is the "pasta di mandorle", almond pastry, which took its name Martorana after the aristocratic woman Eloisa Martorana, who made build a Benedicte Monastery near the church of S. Maria dell'Ammiraglio at the end of the XII century. This church is infact also known as Martorana. 

Nuns to celebrate the festivity of All Saints used to prepare these almond sweets that reproduce forms and colors of many fruits and vegetables such as cauliflower, tomatoes, carrotts, chestnuts, peaches, apricots, mandarines, figs, apples, pears and a lot more.

Regarding the names, it was also called "pasta reale" because was particularly appreciated at the table of the King of Sicily Ruggero II, while the term "marzapane" has Arab origins: marzaban was a measurement used to indicate the capacity of a wooden box, where usually were sent almond sweets coming from Armenia or Cyprus.

Afterwards with the same pastry they also started to make sheep for Easter, to remember the sacrifice of the Lamb.

Sicilian November tradition: "frutta di Martorana & pupi di zucchero"

In Sicily and in particular in Palermo there are two important festivities that come on the beginning of November. On the very 1st of the month we celebrate All Saints' day, which is a religious day dedicated to the Saints, so it's important if we want to ask them help or pray for intercession. The 2nd of November is All Souls' day and is dedicated to the loved ones that we lost and it's a completely different thing.

When we were kids, the 2nd of November was an important awaited day, because parents used to tell children that during the night a deceased relative of the family came on that special day of the year to visit them and bring gifts plus many delicious sweets for the little ones. It was called "u cesto di morti", which means the basket brought by the deads! The children had to be very careful, if the deads arrived while they were still awake, they would tickle their feet. Another sweet gift that they used to bring were the famous precious "pupi di zuccaro", beautiful dolls made only of sugar (pic on the right).

But the most renowned sweets that we make for this occasion is the famous "Frutta di Martorana", which means marzipan made with almond flour and shaped in any kind of fruits and vegetables (pic above). The name comes from the Nuns of the Monastery of Martorana, nearby the same Church, who were the ones that used to prepare these fruits on the 1st of November. These fruits are also called "Pasta reale", which means royal pastry, because was often appreciated by many kings during the centuries and is exactly the same that we use on Easter day for representing the Lamb.

Nowadays, it has become more and more difficult to keep this tradition alive, due to the Hallowen influence on our culture. We want to keep this recurrence alive in our own way, thinking that all Souls' Day is not only a commemoration of the deads, but also a real celebration of their lives. They are not with us anymore in body, but we believe they keep staying close and although is sad, we want our children to remember them with a smile, not with fear. Nothing to be afraid of, because without death there wouldn’t be any life and viceversa.

Marzipan sheep, the symbol of Easter in Sicily

Do you know what "Pecorelle di pasta reale" are? We call it sheep of marzipan, which is made of almond flour, and in our Christian culture they are the symbol of Easter in Sicily. In some parts of our island they fill the marzipan with a kind of preserve of nuts, especially pistaches, or citron marmelade, but you won't find it in Palermo, where we use plain marzipan.

Sheep, in particular lambs, represent the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that during the Holy Week suffers and dies for Mankind and then, after 3 days, rises again on Easter sunday. 

We want to remember His sacrifice even at the table, with this little jewels of marzipan, made in proper molds or shapes of chalk, which are the result of faith and tradition.

HAPPY EASTER!!!