Area Marina Protetta Isole Pelagie

One of the best desserts of the Sicilian confectionery, cassata is a characteristic dessert of Arab origins and boasts of about 1,000 years of history. As a matter of fact, the blend of ingredients and the combination of appropriate tastes recall the features of the Saracen cuisine. In a document approved during Mazzara Synod in 1575, the dessert was defined as "essential" during Easter celebrations, but today is eaten all the year round. Cassata is made with ricotta cheese cream flavored with drops of bitter chocolate, sponge cake and marzipan, and decorated with crystallized fruits.