Another Palermo legend that adds even more flavor to the art of Sicilian pastry making. In almost every pastry shop window, you’ll find colorful little fruits, vegetables, and even pane ca meusa or an arancina, all made from sweet almond paste. These are Frutta Martorana, named after the monastery where the sweets were first made and later sold by the nuns.
During the Spanish rule, Palermo was famous for its gardens, parks, exotic plants, and fruit trees. The Martorana monastery was especially well known for its beautiful orchard. According to legend, one day the Spanish queen (or, depending on the version, the king or the archbishop) decided to see this remarkable garden with her own eyes.
Unfortunately, it was autumn, and the trees were bare. The resourceful nuns decided to recreate an old Arab recipe and made fruit from almonds and honey. They carefully painted each piece and hung them on the branches. The queen was amazed—and so impressed that she wanted to taste “such a perfect orange.” Her surprise grew even greater when she began to peel it and discovered that it was not a real fruit at all, but a dessert.
Over time, the nuns perfected their craft and began making their fruit a little less perfect—closer to the way nature actually creates it.