OUT OF STOCK
caffe sicilia noto corrado assenza romana almonds
caffe sicilia noto corrado assenza romana almonds
This product
is out of stock.
To receive a notification when it arrives from Italy and is placed back in stock, subscribe to the waitlist.
Grazie!
Subscribe to waitlist
Add product
to your cart
Loading Loading
Product
successfully
added to
your cart
If you have not tried almonds from Noto, a small town in southeast Sicilia, you have never truly had an almond. These mandorle di Noto are unpeeled, which means you get to enjoy their incredible skin. Noto almonds have a shockingly intense flavor, that will have you dreaming of the best of Sicilian desserts - pasta di mandorla, almond croissants, fresh almond granita. They are remarkably sweet with a completely dry, dense texture. Crush them up with piennolo tomatoes, basil and garlic for a traditional pesto Trapanese. Snack on them right out of the bag, or use them to make almond milk - a recent trend in the US that is actually a traditional Sicilian treat! These Unpeeled Romana Almonds are the same almonds that pastry chef Corrado Assenza uses for his sweet creations in his Caffè Sicilia in Noto.
These almonds are an ancient native varietal called Romana, they are produced sustainably and farmers are paid fairly. They have a much stronger taste than the California almonds you might be used to - and three times the quantity of nutritious polyphenols. And unlike California almonds, Noto almonds do not rely on irrigation. Thanks to Noto’s specific microclimate, the winter brings ample rain to sufficiently hydrate the almond trees, and Romana trees require only a fraction of the water used by industrial almond farms. Noto almonds are priced higher than conventional almonds. Their cost reflects the incredible quality and low quantity of this small-scale production, which is protected by Slow Food because it is at risk of extinction.

Sicilian Romana Almonds: Critics' Choice

"The finest. These are dry in texture, not oily, slightly wrinkled and dense with assertive flavor, the go-to nut when you want to leave no doubt that there are almonds in that cake or those cookies."
The New York Times
"Serious cooks, and those with sophisticated taste buds that welcome bitterness, might consider distinctive almonds from Sicily"
Florence Fabricant
"A quintessential Sicilian ingredient that was on the verge of extinction"
Eater
"We’re partial to the Romana. This pointy, irregularly shaped nut is beloved by confectioners because it’s ideal for sweets such as marzipan and other Sicilian desserts."
La Cucina Italiana
"When I tasted his granita and gelato, I was in paradise."
Netflix Chef's Table Pastry
"Unlike California almonds, Romana almonds grow with very little water and have a harder shell than the almonds we usually find in supermarkets."
Laurie Ochoa
"I love Caffe Sicilia and have for many years. Corrado Assenza and his son Francesco always amaze. Worth a pilgrimage."
Faith Willinger
"The Romana variety’s stronger almond flavor is essential to the classic granita Assenza sells at his Caffè Sicilia in Noto."
Los Angeles Times
"And though visiting to Sicily isn’t something I can do soon, I can order the almond spread, which can be transformed into granita."
Laurie Ochoa
"Assenza’s solution to this creative and existential crisis was to turn to the Romana almond, a quintessential Sicilian ingredient that was on the verge of extinction."
Eater
"What may be the greatest pastry shop on the face of the earth."
Conde Nast Traveler
"At his humble sweets shop in Noto, Sicily, Assenza makes what some experts consider to be Italy’s finest cannoli, gelati, and granita."
Eater
"Corrado Assenza is one of Italy's most celebrated pastry chefs, known for his dedication to tradition and innovation in the world of pastry."
Reporter Gourmet
"Corrado knows the history of every single ingredient he’s working with and that’s what has made him so special. He’s Mr. Sicily."
Faith Willinger
"Caffè Sicilia has reached legendary status, both because of its TV appearances and because the bakery is quintessentially Sicilian."
Italy Segreta
"Corrado Assenza is one of Italy’s star pastry chefs and his ice creams are the purest expression of Sicily’s products."
Wall Street Journal
Use it for:
Roasted Cauliflower with Almond-Herb Sauce
This recipe is made to bring a spark of summer even during the coldest months of the year: the…
See Recipe
Mandorla Means Almond
Almonds are a protagonist ingredient in Sicily's culinary heritage. They have been cultivated on the…
See Article
You may be also interested in...