Martorana Fruit

The Sicilian pastry school draws most of its origins from the kitchens of convents. Its products were (and still are) associated with religious recurrences and events. Undisputed symbol of this bond, first religious and then popular, Frutta di Martorana was born in 1500 in the convent of Martorana (in the historical centre of Palermo). According to the legend, it was with these sweets made of almond paste – faithful reproductions in shape, colour and appearance of real fruits and vegetables – that nuns deceived the eyes of the emperor visiting the convent, by decorating the trees of the garden with these creations. From there, success and diffusion were immediate. Also lasting: thanks to its perfection, the quality of the ingredients, to their capacity to strike the sight and sweeten the taste buds, Martorana Fruits have become the typical sweet of the recurrence of Halloween: a way to “console” believers in the days of remembrance and mourning for their dead loved ones.
Sweet recognized by the region of Sicily as a traditional food product, Martorana Fruit is included in the list of traditional Italian food products (P.A.T.) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (Mipaaf).