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Seattlest has been in Palermo for the past week, hanging out in the ancient markets of Vucciria, Ballaro, and Capo that snake through narrow medieval streets and church-fronted piazzas. The Mediterranean island of Sicily (Palermo being its capital) has been invaded over the centuries by just about everybody: Phoenicians, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, the French (Angevines and Bourbons), the Austrians, even the Piedmontese, whom we think of today as being fellow Italians but back then were symbols of alien occupation. It wasn't until the middle of the 19th century that Sicily became part of modern Italy, and to this day the Sicilians speak their own language and maintain a unique set of culinary traditions. Where else but Palermo would you find market vendors serving up rolls filled with calf spleen, lung, and trachea? And we're here to tell you, it tastes tons better than stadium hot dogs. (You surely don't want to know what goes into those.)
Beyond the spleen vendor's cart is the rest of the market, teeming with produce, meat, and fish in its elemental state. That is, nothing boxed, bagged, wrapped, or prettified. The very antithesis of that most American of institutions, the supermarket. Yes, of course there are small grocery stores, but nothing, absolutely nothing, like Trader Giuseppe, where you buy your local apples four-to-the-plastic-box.
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I would never think to eat spleen, but that sammie looks good!
Did you bring back some samples? I bet the sandwiches are delicious!