I’ve been to a lot of markets, from small neighborhood affairs to giant covered food halls, but Palermo’s Il Capo is different.
For a start, it’s one of the oldest markets in the world, and may well be the oldest, at least in Europe: It has been operating in the same place, every day, since Arabs ruled Sicily in the 10th century.
In fact, many observers have compared its vivid colors, busy stands and the variety of its produce with the souks of North Africa. That connection is not unlikely: Sicily, and the Sicilian language show links in words, in expressions and in produce to that era. Even Palermo’s name dates to that era, when it was called Bal’harm.
It’s not the only open-air market in the historic city center; there are also the Ballaro and Vucceria markets. But Ballaro is smaller, and Vucceria has become a more visitor-oriented attraction, and plays less of a role in the city’s food life.
And that’s something to remember about Il Capo: It has a boutique or two along the path it winds along Via Volturno and Via Sant’Agostino, among others, but it’s mainly a daily market for working-class shoppers looking for freshness and bargains not to be found in supermarkets.
It’s not all local produce, although an amazing variety of fruits and vegetables have long seasons in Sicily’s warmer Mediterranean climate. We’re talking palm-tree country here, with the temperatures to match. Above, bananas share a stand with asparagi selvatici, a locally-grown grass-like asparagus cousin.
And it’s not only food; especially when you’ve passed into Via Sant’Agostino you can find not only housewares (note the familiar figure in the middle!) but also a wide variety of textiles and leather goods. That street was the historic location for craftsmen in those trades, although the workshops are largely gone, and only stores remain.
As we wandered the market, with a food tour guide, we learned a few new fruits and vegetables, and got to taste numbers of things. We also learned that our lack of Italian was not a handicap to conversation; our lack of Sicilian was. It’s the language of the market still.
And we learned that things have different names in Sicily than we knew from traveling in Italy. Cavalfiore, or cauliflower, goes by broccoli in Sicily. And what we call broccoli was selling as broccolo. Either way, both were quite gorgeous and large!
Citrus fruits were everywhere, both familiar and unfamiliar. Sicily is prime territory for citrus, supplying much of its crop to the rest of Europe, as well as providing the raw materials for limoncello and other local spirits. The lemon-like fruits at the back have thick, but edible, skin surrounding the pulp.
Artichokes were in evidence on many stands, from this small ones to some that were huge. Later in Catania, we shared one of the large ones, fried on the spot in a market there.
Not to forget grains, beans and condiments of all kinds. For a start, more varieties of dried, preserved and otherwise prepared peppers than you could imagine, and an assortment of flavored sea salt from the western port of Trapani.
Followed by beans, oils, sauces and spices.
Before we get on to the meat and fish, a quick look at the bread and cheese.
And on to the fish and seafood vendors, with fresh local catch of all kinds, and a quick hand to clean and cut it properly.
All over Sicily we found swordfish, pesce spada, on the menu and in the markets, at quite reasonable prices.
Some of these snails nearly escaped the bin, but every time a few got near the top, the stallholder pushed them back.
If you get hungry looking at all this, some of it is available on the spot, fried in most cases.
But my favorite, where I stopped and stared for quite a while, was at a butcher shop, where fresh sasuage was being made. If we had only had a kitchen!
