Almond of Noto

Agricultural Product

Luigi Chiesa - CC3.0

The Noto almond is grown in the almond groves of Noto and three other municipalities in the province of Syracuse. Three ancient varieties are cultivated: “romana” with a squat and irregular seed shape with excellent organoleptic characteristics, very popular for transformation into pastry; "Pizzuta d'Avola" with an oval and flat seed, "fascionello" with hybrid characteristics between the other two. The thick and woody shell of the almonds of Noto retains the fats, preserving the flavor and aroma for a long time; on the other hand, the yield is low and the market does not always appreciate the not too regular shape of the fruit. Almond is the absolute protagonist of Sicilian pastry. It was the Arabs who discovered the secret of working chopped fruit with egg white and honey and it was they who inaugurated the great Sicilian tradition of almond sweets.