Arancini

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title: "Arancini" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["palermitan-cuisine", "cuisine-of-messina", "italian-rice-dishes", "stuffed-dishes", "street-food-in-italy"] description: "Italian snack food" topic_path: "geography/italy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arancini" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Italian snack food ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]

Field	Value
name	Arancini
image	arancini 002.jpg
caption	Sicilian arancini for sale at a counter
alternate_name	Arancino (Italian singular form), arancina (Italian singular form), arancine
country	Italy
region	Sicily
type	Snack, street food
served	Hot or warm
main_ingredient	Rice, ragù
::

| name = Arancini | image = arancini 002.jpg | image_size = | caption = Sicilian arancini for sale at a counter | alternate_name = Arancino (Italian singular form), arancina (Italian singular form), arancine | country = Italy | region = Sicily | creator = | course = | type = Snack, street food | served = Hot or warm | main_ingredient = Rice, ragù | variations =

Arancini, also known as arancine, are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They are a staple of Sicilian cuisine. The most common arancini fillings are al ragù or al sugo, i.e. filled with ragù (meat or mince, slow-cooked at low temperature with tomato sauce and spices), mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, and often peas; and al burro or ô burru (), i.e. filled with prosciutto and mozzarella or béchamel sauce.

A number of regional variants exist which differ in their fillings and shape. Arancini al ragù produced in eastern Sicily, particularly in cities such as Catania and Messina, have a conical shape inspired by the volcano Etna.

Etymology

Arancini derives from the Sicilian plural diminutive of aranciu (), from their shape and colour which, after cooking, is reminiscent of an orange.

In Sicilian, arancini is grammatically plural. The corresponding singular is either the masculine arancinu or the feminine arancina. The eastern side of Sicily tends to use the masculine form, while the western side tends to use the feminine form.

In Italian, the masculine arancino (: arancini) form has become prevalent, although the feminine form arancina (: arancine) can also be used.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Mozzarella_arancini_1.jpg" caption="Arancini with [[mozzarella"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Arancine_in_Favignana.jpg" caption="Open arancini"] ::

Arancini are said to have originated in 10th-century Sicily, at a time when the island was under Arab rule. Academic Annette Condello pinpoints arancini's origin to 18th-century southern Italy, where she says it was made to resemble oranges.

In the cities of Palermo, Syracuse, and Trapani in Sicily, arancini are a traditional food for the feast of Saint Lucy (Italian: Santa Lucia) on 13 December, when bread and pasta are not eaten. This commemorates the arrival of a grain supply ship on Saint Lucy's Day in 1646, relieving a severe famine.

Today, with the increasing popularity of this finger food in Italy, arancini are found all year round at most Sicilian food outlets.

Ingredients and variations

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Arancini_messinesi.JPG" caption="Conical-shaped arancini photographed in [[Messina"] ::

The most common type of arancini sold in Sicilian cafés is arancini cû sucu (), which typically consists of meat in a tomato sauce, rice, and mozzarella or other cheese. Many cafés also offer arancini cû burru (, with butter or béchamel sauce) or specialty arancini, such as arancini chî funci (, with mushrooms), arancini câ fastuca (, with pistachios), or arancini â norma (, with aubergine).

In Roman cuisine, supplì are similar, but are commonly filled with cheese (different preparation methods and filling distribution). In Naples, rice balls are called pall' 'e riso. They are smaller than Sicilian arancini, and are not necessarily filled.

In popular culture

In Italian literature, Inspector Montalbano, the main character of Andrea Camilleri's detective novels, is a well-known lover of arancini—especially those made by Adelina Cirrinciò, his housekeeper and cook. The success of the book series and the television adaptation has contributed to making this dish known outside of Italy.

Notes

References

References

1. "Arancini". [[HarperCollins]].
2. "arancini". [[Oxford University Press]].
3. Chef Rubio. (2014). "Unti e bisunti". Sperling & Kupfer.
4. "I cugini di Palerma e il sesso degli arancini. Un complesso di inferiorità culinaria". MeridioNews.
5. (30 December 2017). "Arancina o arancinu? Una risposta esaustiva - Cadèmia Siciliana". Cadèmia Siciliana.
6. D'Ignoti, Stefania. "The gender fight behind Sicily's most iconic snack".
7. (1 May 2000). "Sicilia. Ediz. Inglese". Casa Editrice Bonechi.
8. Clifford A. Wright. (1 January 2003). "Little Foods of the Mediterranean: 500 Fabulous Recipes for Antipasti, Tapas, Hors D'Oeuvre, Meze, and More". Harvard Common Press.
9. Condello, Annette. (2019). "Routledge Handbook of Food in Asia". [[Routledge]].
10. Giuseppina Siotto, ''Vegetaliana, note di cucina italiana vegetale: La cucina vegetariana e vegana'', 2014, {{ISBN. 8868101858, chapter 14.
11. Muffoletto, A.. (1971). "The art of Sicilian cooking". Doubleday.
12. Schwartz, Arthur. (1998). "Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania". [[HarperCollins]].
13. (6 July 2015). "I arancini di Montalbano". Rai Uno.

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