For its cannoli, Nicosia has made a name for itself beyond the island. But ask a Nicosian which sweet is the sweet of the town and you get a different answer: the nocattolo. You won’t find it in Palermo or Catania; you find it here, in inland Sicily, in the province of Enna — in the pastry shops of the historic centre all year round, and once a year laid out along an entire street.
What it is (and why every family tells it differently)
The heart of the nocattolo is two things: almond paste and cinnamon. From there the versions diverge — and it’s an honest divergence, because the recipes are handed down at home. Some describe it as a lard shortcrust with an almond-paste filling — hazelnuts, in some family variants — finished with icing sugar; others as a soft pastry covered with a layer of almond paste bound with honey, sugar and egg white. In Nicosia it’s the sweet of the festivities, Christmas above all, but the pastry shops of the centre make it in every season.
An old name, handled with caution
Its origins are traced back to the era when the town counted barons, counts and marquises, when the nocattolo was the sweet of grand occasions. On the etymology, two hypotheses circulate — the Latin nucatum and the Arabic noqûlât — and it’s only fair to call them exactly that: hypotheses.
The municipal denomination, since 2015
Since 2015 the nocattolo has held the municipal denomination (De.Co.): it was the first product of Nicosia to receive it, presented in the council chamber during the opening weekend of the first festival, on 5 and 6 September of that year. The De.Co. protects both recipe and name.
The festival: ten editions and a record-length table
The Sagra del Nocattolo e dei Prodotti Tipici was born in 2015, and with its tenth edition — 20 and 21 June 2026, after years in a late-summer slot — it raised the bar: on the Sunday morning, along via Fratelli Testa, an uninterrupted table of 221.70 metres with 4,239 artisan nocattoli lined up was certified, and the documentation was sent to Guinness World Records for ratification. Over the weekend more than eight thousand were tasted.
Around the sweet, the festival stages the rest of the Nicosian table: a food village with tasting tickets, craft beer, buffalo mozzarella, fresh maccheroni — and moments dedicated to Gallo-Italic, the dialect of Nicosia, with sketches and a street band.
Where to taste it, and how to learn to make it
In the pastry shops of the historic centre the nocattolo is available all year; during the historic Carnival the Pizziddati and Nocattoli markets stay open in Piazza Garibaldi for all five days. If you’d rather get your hands in the dough, you can book the traditional-sweets cooking class — cannoli, Pizziddati and nocattoli with a historic pastry shop of the centre — or taste it as part of the one-day Sicilia da gustare itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
What is the nocattolo?
Nicosia’s signature sweet, based on almond paste scented with cinnamon, holder of the municipal denomination (De.Co.) since 2015 — the first product of the town to obtain it. Recipes vary from family to family.
When is the Sagra del Nocattolo held?
The tenth edition took place on 20 and 21 June 2026 in via Fratelli Testa and the historic centre. The dates of the 2027 edition are still being set: the event page and the Comune’s channels are the reference.
Where do you buy it?
In the pastry shops of Nicosia’s historic centre, all year round; at the Carnival markets and, naturally, at the festival.
Sources
Comune di Nicosia (municipal denomination of the nocattolo, 2015; festival programme), local press for the festival’s editions, Sicilian food portals (VivaSicilia, Ricette di Sicilia) for the sweet and its variants. The full guide to the local cooking is What to eat in Nicosia.
