Best places to eat it
in Trapani
One of Trapani’s best known and most appreciated traditional dishes is cous cous, also called cùscusu in the local dialect. It is a delicious dish full of flavours and aromas that are impossible to resist.
Enjoyable all year round, couscous is a recipe of Maghreb origin that has characterised the cuisine of Berber nomads since ancient times, so much so that one could call it the ‘national dish’ of the Berbers. It spread to this part of Sicily during the period of Arab domination and the exchange of cultures and gastronomic habits gave rise to the cous cous alla Trapanese, which, unlike the North African cous cous, prepared with meat, is traditionally cooked with fish broth. Although there is a daring variant with fried broccoli and meat. An international festival, the Cous Cous Fest, is also dedicated to this dish, the quintessential symbol of Trapanese cuisine, and is held every year in September in San Vito Lo Capo, where ethnic changes are discussed and, above all, a lot of food is eaten.
Couscous Trapanese style
Listed among Sicily’s traditional food products, cous cous alla Trapanese is a dish with a very intense and spicy flavour made from durum wheat semolina to be enjoyed with a brodetto of fresh fish, which can be red or black scorpion fish, grouper, sanpietro fish, vopa, gurnard, luvaro and even eel from the local salt pans. According to tradition, cous cous must be made strictly by hand, using the incocciatura technique, i.e. the transformation of the semolina, with the help of water, into small round lumps. To do this you need the ‘mafarrada’, an earthenware tureen where you pour the semolina and knead it. Cooking then takes place in the couscoussiera, a special earthenware pot divided into two parts: in the lower part the broth is poured while in the upper part the previously worked semolina is placed.
Where to eat cous cous in Trapani? The Sicilian city is full of places offering this delicious dish, but the real problem lies in finding quality. That is why we have selected for you the best places to eat it in Trapani.
Couscous Trapanese style
Listed among Sicily’s traditional food products, cous cous alla Trapanese is a dish with a very intense and spicy flavour made from durum wheat semolina to be enjoyed with a brodetto of fresh fish, which can be red or black scorpion fish, grouper, sanpietro fish, vopa, gurnard, luvaro and even eel from the local salt pans. According to tradition, cous cous must be made strictly by hand, using the incocciatura technique, i.e. the transformation of the semolina, with the help of water, into small round lumps. To do this you need the ‘mafarrada’, an earthenware tureen where you pour the semolina and knead it. Cooking then takes place in the couscoussiera, a special earthenware pot divided into two parts: in the lower part the broth is poured while in the upper part the previously worked semolina is placed.
Where to eat cous cous in Trapani? The Sicilian city is full of places offering this delicious dish, but the real problem lies in finding quality. That is why we have selected for you the best places to eat it in Trapani.
Where to eat it
SICILIAN WINE CELLAR
If you want to taste the best couscous in Trapani, you have to go to Cantina Siciliana, a delightful trattoria that the New York Times described as ‘a blue-clad gem in a sleepy little street, run by Pino Maggiore, a lifelong seafood man’. Located since 1958 in Via Giudecca, in the old Jewish quarter, this historic restaurant serves typical Sicilian cuisine. Here, the cous cous is prepared daily and incocciato as tradition dictates: hand-cooked semolina that, after hours of preparation together with the fish broth, succeeds in providing a symphony of flavours for the palate.
CAUPONA TAVERN OF SICILY
Also known as ‘La casa del cùscusu Trapanese’, the Caupona Taverna di Sicilia restaurant is located along Via S. Francesco D’Assisi, in one of the most characteristic corners of the city, opposite the famous Church of Purgatory, a Baroque masterpiece that houses the Sacred Mystery groups of the Good Friday procession. Characterised by a comfortable and friendly atmosphere, the restaurant offers its guests traditional Sicilian dishes, accompanied by excellent local wines. In addition to cous cous, we also recommend you try the Caupona, a fish-based caponata according to one of Sicily’s oldest recipes.
Where to eat it
G&G
Another symbol of cous cous in the city is the G&G restaurant located in Via Lungomare Dante Alighieri, in the centre of Trapani not far from the port area. The simple and hospitable environment, the family atmosphere and the passion for good food make it the ideal place to enjoy traditional Trapani dishes and sip the best wines from the local cellars. The fish on offer is extremely fresh and arrives daily. Needless to say, his speciality is cous cous alla Trapanese.
ANCIENT TASTE
In the premises of an old tavern along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, in the heart of Trapani’s historical centre, you will find Antichi Sapori, a popular restaurant in the city specialising in fish cuisine. The fresh, wholesome dishes are expertly prepared by Mr Angelo with the same care as the old housewives, fishermen’s wives. In addition to the couscous served with fish soup and fried paranza fish, we recommend trying the grouper ravioli with local red shrimp and the sardine meatballs with wild fennel. Excellent value for money.
So, are you ready to try some fantastic cous cous in Trapani?
Where to eat it
G&G
Another symbol of cous cous in the city is the G&G restaurant located in Via Lungomare Dante Alighieri, in the centre of Trapani not far from the port area. The simple and hospitable environment, the family atmosphere and the passion for good food make it the ideal place to enjoy traditional Trapani dishes and sip the best wines from the local cellars. The fish on offer is extremely fresh and arrives daily. Needless to say, his speciality is cous cous alla Trapanese.
ANCIENT TASTE
In the premises of an old tavern along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, in the heart of Trapani’s historical centre, you will find Antichi Sapori, a popular restaurant in the city specialising in fish cuisine. The fresh, wholesome dishes are expertly prepared by Mr Angelo with the same care as the old housewives, fishermen’s wives. In addition to the couscous served with fish soup and fried paranza fish, we recommend trying the grouper ravioli with local red shrimp and the sardine meatballs with wild fennel. Excellent value for money.
So, are you ready to try some fantastic cous cous in Trapani?
