Food Encyclopedia

arancine

A Sicilian specialty of saffron-flavored rice balls stuffed with varying ingredients that can include meat, meat sauce, vegetables (such as peas) and/or cheese. The rice balls are coated with breadcrumbs and usually fried, though they also can be baked. The word arancine means "little oranges" and refers to both the shape of the fruit and the orange color from the saffron. Arancine are a popular street food and often used as appetizers. The shape can be round or conical, depending on the region ftom which they hail. Suppli are very similar to arancine.