We’ve spilled plenty of virtual ink already on the virtues of Sicily and its unique gastronomic history. Having been conquered by a swathe of different civilisations hailing from North Africa to the Middle East, the island has been blessed with a rich culinary heritage where typical Italian ingredients like pasta, tomato and olive oil sit seamlessly alongside more exotic produce like dried fruit, nuts, couscous and saffron. Out of all this produce, however, perhaps none is as typical of Sicily as the pistachio. Originally from the Middle East but now quintessentially Sicilian, the pistachios grown on the island are some of the best in the world, and none are as coveted as those from the town of Bronte.
Bronte sits in the north-east of Sicily, right on the edge of Mount Etna. Many things struggle to survive in the shadow of the volcano – not least the people, who have to deal with Etna’s semi-regular eruptions – but the fertile soils are perfect for pistachio trees, which thrive on Etna’s sunny slopes. Every two years, the pistachio trees of Bronte release an emerald harvest, and Giuseppina and Alfio Paparo – who run traditional pistachio farm AromaSicilia – are two of the farmers on hand to collect the green gold.