Cannolo di Piana degli Albanesi (Cannolu di Chiana)

In Piana degli Albanesi, the Arbëresh town founded in the second half of the fifteenth century by Albanians fleeing the Balkans, the cannolo is the best-known sweet and a reason to travel on its own.

The shell is made with flour, lard and wine, rolled around small canes and fried; it is filled only at the moment, so it stays crisp. Inside is the sheep's milk ricotta from the pastures around the town, sieved and sweetened with little sugar and honey too, with candied fruit, chocolate drops and a dusting of icing sugar. It is a big cannolo, and the craft passes from one generation to the next.

Traditionally people waited for Christmas to eat them; today they are found all year. The cannolo festival, born in the Carnival season, is held on an irregular basis: the 2026 edition was on 16 and 17 May.

Sources: Wikipedia (Piana degli Albanesi), besicilymag.it, vivasicilia.com.