“Stigghiola” and “Mangia e Bevi”

Palermo’s famous street food has its roots in cucina povera — the simple food of poor people. The first time I saw a brain in a butcher’s shop, I started wondering, “How do they cook it here?” My friends told me: they don’t. They eat it raw (Honestly, Hannibal Lecter immediately came to mind.) I was also told a family story about a dinner where boiled lambs’ heads were served. And the most prized part of the head was… the eyes. Everyone at the table got excited about who would get them!

Cucina povera has always been about cooking without waste. That is also how stigghiola came about — one of Palermo’s famous street foods, cooked over charcoal and sending clouds of white smoke into the air. It is impossible not to notice. But it is very possible not to try. Stigghiola is made from lamb or kid goat intestines grilled over charcoal. They can be wrapped around spring onions or threaded onto skewers. At Palermo’s markets, you will often see them simply grilled on a skewer. It is definitely not for everyone. If you decide to try it, go for one that is nicely browned — stigghiola should be crispy.

Another local classic my guests often ask me about is mangia e bevi. What I like most about this dish is its name, because I do not eat onions at all, so I can only enjoy the way it looks and smells. Mangia e bevi is made with fresh spring onions wrapped in fresh pancetta — pork belly — and grilled. As the pancetta cooks, its fat melts into the spring onion. The result is juicy and full of flavour, crispy on the outside and tender inside. They say it makes you very thirsty afterwards, which is why it is called mangia e bevi — eat and drink.