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Halaesa Nebrodi: A Journey of Flavors Between the Hyblaean and Nebrodi Mountains

The main objective of the CTT™ Territorial Tourism Coordinator of Halaesa Nebrodi is the promotion of the territory as an expression of a specific identity. Its "genius loci" is characterized by the diversity offered by the individual municipalities, which benefit from a catalytic and multiplying effect when put in synergy. Along the path started a few years ago, I've met and crossed paths with countless people: operators, administrators, travelers. But the story I want to tell you today has some very interesting nuances that, in my opinion, deserve a closer look, directly involving three of our Operators.

The Taste of Excellence: The Meeting with Èstro Restaurant

Giuseppe Luparelli (chef) and Lorenzo Sorrentino (pastry chef) are the owners of Èstro Restaurant (link: [Èstro Restaurant] ) in Palazzolo Acreide (SR). Their cuisine, while firmly rooted in the valuable gastronomy of the Hyblaean Mountains, is pleasantly open to regional, national, and international influences. Seasonality is a fundamental element of their philosophy, while innovation and the reinterpretation of dishes in a contemporary key represent the added value the team offers its customers.

In this continuous journey of enrichment and constant improvement, Giuseppe and Lorenzo are looking for new ideas to embellish their dishes and, why not, invent new ones. Driven by this passion, they decided to contact Halaesa Nebrodi in search of flavors and gastronomic traditions from our territory.

The request was simple: to visit some local businesses within a few days in search of local products of excellence and, if possible, unique ones.

Organizing the Mini-Tour

We collaborated on how to organize and optimize the mini-tour, given the long distance between Halaesa Nebrodi and the Hyblaean region and the relatively little time available. We drew up a three-stage program: visits to two farms and lunch in Mistretta.

Stop 1: The Provola D.O.P. from Azienda Antonio Fioriglio

The first farm visited by Giuseppe and Lorenzo is located in the territory of Mistretta, leaving the SS 117 a few kilometers after cresting Serra Merio (1093 mt). This is the Azienda agricola zootecnica Antonio Fioriglio (link: [Azienda agricola zootecnica Antonio Fioriglio]), known everywhere for the famous Provola dei Nebrodi D.O.P. Here, immersed in 100 hectares of green and uncontaminated pastures of the Nebrodi Park (Zone B), the company stands strong with a long family history dating back to 1890, now in its fifth generation.

Welcoming Giuseppe and Lorenzo was Biagio, Antonio's son, who, along with his brother Paolo, dedicates himself with love and dedication to the family business. The tasting was "challenging": in addition to the inevitable Provola dei Nebrodi D.O.P., Biagio offered a rich platter consisting of other seasoned and unseasoned cow's milk cheeses, warm fresh ricotta that had just been produced, and, the icing on the cake, the prized baked ricotta (ricotta infornata), queen of several island dishes, including the famous Pasta alla Norma.

Stop 2: Authentic Flavors at Turismo Rurale SESIMA

As it was nearly lunchtime, our Giuseppe and Lorenzo left the Fioriglio farm amid the ringing bells of the cows and headed towards Turismo rurale SESIMA (link: [Turismo rurale SESIMA]).

The ancient farmhouse is located along the SS 117, right at the entrance to Mistretta when arriving from the hinterland. The view you can enjoy once you arrive is truly breathtaking: the gaze wanders across the pastures of the great valley up to the peaks of the Nebrodi Mountains, made green by ancient and lush forests.

Here, the two chefs met Simona Di Gregorio, the hostess and kitchen manager. Despite the generous earlier snack, there was still room for fresh bucatini with Nebrodi Black Pig and a sumptuous Nebrodi Florentine Steak (Fiorentina) to share. An excellent way to come into contact with the superb local meats.

Stop 3: Innovation and Tradition with Messinese Goat Salami

The journey of our chef friends continued towards Santo Stefano di Camastra (link: [Santo Stefano di Camastra]) intrigued by the news regarding the recent launch of a new product: the Messinese Goat Salami (Salame di Capra messinese), which we recently covered in this article.

The Azienda di Antonino Mallaci Bocchio (link: [Azienda di Antonino Mallaci Bocchio]) , located in the territory of Cerami, close to that of Mistretta, officially introduced an innovative product to the market that, in reality, has solid roots in the past and tradition of the Nebrodi. The sales point, La dispensa del Massaro (link: [La dispensa del Massaro]) , is located right in the City of Ceramics, and here Giuseppe and Lorenzo were welcomed by Antonino, who presented them, in addition to the Goat Salami and the Nebrodi Black Pig Salami, a series of dairy products derived from goat's milk.

Mission Accomplished

This is the story of an exceptional day dedicated to promoting the territory, but what matters most are the impressions collected by Giuseppe and Lorenzo:

"Today we took a journey to discover the authentic Sicily, one made of ancient flavors and traditions. The first farm, that of Antonio, Biagio, and Paolo, showed us products of great value but also people with big hearts. Leaving the SS 117 and following the navigator, we got lost, but thanks to Antonio's helpfulness, we managed to reach the farm (Editor's Note: unless you have a 4x4, it's advisable to arrive at the gates of Mistretta and head towards Contrada Fontana Murata). The welcome was excellent, as were all the products we tasted, especially the baked ricotta which we found special and different from what we use in our area. Its delicate taste pleasantly struck us.

Likewise, lunch at SESIMA met our expectations and stimulated new gastronomic ideas, just as learning about the goat products from Antonino's farm in Santo Stefano di Camastra convinced us to experiment and propose something new to our guests.

Our menu, already rich in excellent products, will be enhanced by a fresh pasta dish with goat ragù, dusted with baked ricotta."

So, mission accomplished! The Hyblaean Mountains marry the Nebrodi Mountains through a unique dish that unites two fascinating worlds of our splendid Island.