What is sometimes referred to as a Sicilian torrone, one of Sicily’s most treasured traditional sweets is giuggiulena (also spelled giurgiulena, giugiulena or jujiulena), a sesame brittle that some Sicilians also call cubbaita.
Although it is sometimes grouped with torrone, it is quite different. Made with sesame seeds, honey, sugar and fragrant lemon or orange zest, it is crisp, aromatic and deeply rooted in Sicily’s culinary traditions.
In my family, the finest giuggiulena comes from my cousin Franca, who lives in Ragusa. Every Easter and Christmas, the extended family eagerly awaits its annual supply. Franca is the designated maker of giuggiulena, just as she is entrusted with preparing scacce. Other family members have their own special roles too—my elderly aunt, for example, is responsible for making the fresh pasta and ricotta ravioli for our family celebrations. These treasured food traditions have been passed from one generation to the next, with each recipe entrusted to the person who makes it best.
Because giuggiulena keeps well, it is not only made for Easter and Christmas but is also kept on hand throughout the year to offer unexpected visitors. Like many traditional Sicilian recipes, it varies from one town—and often one family—to another. Some recipes are made entirely with sugar, others only with honey, while many use a combination of both. My relatives in Ragusa add cinnamon, and I have come across versions flavoured with a pinch of cumin. Almonds or pistachios are sometimes included, perhaps explaining why this sesame brittle is occasionally referred to as a Sicilian torrone.
ARAB CULTURE
Sicilians generally regard giuggiulena as part of the island’s rich Arab culinary legacy, reflecting the influence of more than two centuries of Arab rule. This connection is hardly surprising, as similar sesame sweets are enjoyed throughout the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. In Lebanon and Egypt, for example, a comparable confection is known as simsimiyah, while in Greece it is called pasteli. Each country proudly claims the sweet as its own, but they all share a long tradition of combining sesame seeds with honey or sugar to create this simple yet enduring confection.
The variety and quality of the honey you use will make a difference to the taste of giuggiulena.
I used this honey to make my latest batch:
have already written two posts about giuggiulena on this blog. One features my cousin Franca’s much-loved family recipe from Ragusa, while the other showcases the version made by Dolcetti Pasticceria in Melbourne. Its proprietor and pastry chef, Marianna, comes from a Sicilian family and continues this traditional confection with the same care and respect for its heritage.
Franca makes giuggiulena in large quantities – her recipe:
INGREDIENTS
1k honey, 1 k sesame seeds, 4 cups sugar, ½ teaspoon of each: cinnamon, cloves, grated orange peel.
PROCESSES
Melt the sugar in a large saucepan on very low heat, when sugar is melted add honey. Add sesame seeds and aromatics mix well. Remove the torrone from the heat quickly (or the sesame seeds my burn). Let cool slightly.
Pour mixture onto a tray with oiled baking paper or a marble that has been coated with oil. Spread evenly and quickly before the torrone hardens, cut into rectangular pieces before it cools and store in airtight containers. Franca often wraps pieces in cellophane paper before she distributes it.
You will find references to her recipe in: EASTER IN SICILY – A SICILIAN FEAST IN RAGUSA – RECIPES AND GIUGGIULENA
This is Dolcetti’s recipe for giuggiulena:
INGREDIENTS
250gms sesame seeds
250gms orange blossom honey
250gms sugar
250gms whole raw almonds
zest of 1 orange (not too finely grated)
METHOD
Combine the honey and sugar in a pot and stir until it begins to melt and soften.
Add the sesame seeds and almonds and cook, stirring continuously until it begins to bubble.
Let it cook and darken to a dark golden brown colour.
Add the orange zest.
Pour onto a sheet of baking paper lined with a touch of oil or oil spray or onto a lightly greased marble or granite surface.
Flatten it slightly with an oiled rolling pin.
Let it cool before cutting it into pieces.
Keep stored in airtight container.
You will find references to Marianna’s recipe in: GIUGGIULENA (also CUBBAITA) – a brittle Sicilian toffee of sugar and honey with sesame seeds and almonds
Pasteli and Simsimiyah: Variations on Sicilian Giuggiulena
These variations show how widely sesame sweets are loved across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Greek pasteli and Middle Eastern simsimiyah are close relatives of Sicilian giuggiulena, but each tradition has its own preferred balance of sesame, honey, sugar and flavouring.
In many recipes for pasteli and simsimiyah, the sesame seeds are lightly toasted separately before the hot sugar-and-honey toffee is poured over them and mixed through.
You will notice that Sicilian recipes often use equal quantities of sugar and honey, while some Greek and Middle Eastern versions use more honey than sugar. Sugar produces a harder brittle, so increasing the honey creates a softer, more chewy texture.
Greek recipes often include a little lemon juice in the sugar-and-honey mixture. Middle Eastern versions may use lemon juice, orange blossom water or vanilla; I particularly like this variation.
The sesame and toffee mixture is usually poured into a square tin lined with lightly oiled baking paper, or onto a lightly greased marble or granite surface. One recipe from Cairo suggested using a mixture of flour and oil to grease the surface, and I like this method as well.
