Sfincia di San Giuseppe
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Sfincia di San Giuseppe (also called sfincia or spincia ri San Giuseppi in Sicilian) is a Sicilian pastry dessert, traditionally prepared for the day of Saint Joseph (19 March). It is recognised as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (PAT) by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.[1]
It is a fried soft pastry covered and filled with sweet ricotta and candied fruit (usually a cherry and orange).[2][3]
The Sicilian term spincia can derive from the Latin spongia and the Arabic ﺍﺴﻔﻨﺞ, isfanǧ, both literally meaning 'sponge' for the peculiar consistency and form of this fried pastry, and both are possible considering the Arabic influences on Sicilian, although it is a Romance language (so coming mainly from Latin). In Italian the singular is sfincia and the plural sfince, and in Sicilian the singular is sfincia (or spincia) and the plural sfinci.[4][5]
