Panelle

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A deep-fried Sicilian snack made from a thin batter of chickpea flour, often served hot in slices or sandwiches
2. A crisp, golden fritter from Sicily shaped from chickpea flour and water, commonly sold by street vendors in Palermo
3. Chickpea flour cakes fried until crisp, a traditional street food of Sicily typically eaten sprinkled with salt

Etymology: Panelle are thin fritters of chickpea flour, water, parsley and salt, fried in olive oil and eaten hot in Palermo and across Sicily. The name comes from Italian, and the word's history is tied to the Arabic-speaking period of the island. Many scholars link the food to Arabic cuisine, and the chickpea itself reached Sicily through that long Islamic presence, but the exact route from Arabic into the Sicilian name is not settled, and the connection should be read as a likely one rather than proven. The word is used in Sicilian and Italian to name the fritter, and in Palermo it is sold by street vendors in paper cones and sandwiched in soft bread rolls. The chickpea flour is the key ingredient, which is why the dish is so closely tied to the island's food traditions.

Synonyms: fritter