Packed with whole pistachios, but the flavor struggles to shine through.
Rating: 7/10
The "Nuovo Caffè al Portico" bar is so famous in Carruba (a small hamlet of Giarre) that most people simply know it as the "Bar di Carruba". Following the many recommendations you sent us, we went to try their rather well-known pistachio arancino.
The arancino features good frying, crispy and not overly oily (though not quite flawless).
Once opened, you are faced with something very different from the usual "creamy" arancini or those made with finely chopped pistachios. This arancino contains very large pieces of pistachio, some peeled and some not, along with bits of speck (or a similar cured meat) and melted cheese.
Tasting it confirms that while it is a decent arancino, the pistachio flavor struggles to come through. Only occasionally, when you find a piece of pistachio under your teeth, will you be able to perceive its flavor. Most of the time, the pistachios will escape your palate because they are not amalgamated with the rest of the arancino. The quality of the pistachios is average (even when bitten, they don't have a very intense flavor).
The speck never overpowers, which could be a positive, but neither do the cheese or the pistachio, ultimately resulting in a rather "bland" arancino that mostly tastes of rice.
Although it was a close call, we decided to give it 7/10, due to the pistachio flavor being intermittently perceptible if you make an effort to bite into the nuts.
The intention to create a quality product that stands out from the rest is evident, but the final result can be improved, and we hope, as always, that the establishment will take our feedback in a positive light.
Address:
Nuovo Caffè al Portico
Via S. Martino, 1
Carruba
Frazione di Giarre (Catania)
