# What to eat in the Madonie: typical dishes and produce

> What to eat in the Madonie and in which town: cheese, badda beans, mushrooms, manna and desserts, a seasonal food calendar and which type of place to choose.

- Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/what-to-eat/
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/sapori/cosa-mangiare.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/gastronomia/que-comer.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/saveurs/que-manger.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/kulinarik/was-essen.md)

In the Madonie you eat the mountain cooking of the villages: pasture cheeses such as provola delle Madonie and caciocavallo, legumes such as the badda bean of Polizzi Generosa, autumn mushrooms, the manna of the ash trees of Castelbuono and Pollina, and desserts that change from one town to the next. Almost every town has a product of its own, often recognised by a Slow Food Presidium or by the list of traditional products of Sicily. This guide tells you what to look for, in which town and in which season; addresses are in the list of [places to eat in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/where-to-eat/).

## The products to look for

Seven products are enough to understand Madonie cooking. Each has its own guide.

| Product | Where | Season | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provola delle Madonie | San Mauro Castelverde, Geraci Siculo, Collesano and the whole massif | made March-June | [cheeses](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-cheeses/) |
| Caciocavallo | San Mauro Castelverde | all year, festival in early June | [cheeses](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-cheeses/) |
| Badda bean | Polizzi Generosa | fresh August-November, dried all year | [beans and grains](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/beans-and-ancient-grains/) |
| Mushrooms | woods on the northern side, from Castelbuono to Piano Battaglia | autumn; basilisk mushroom April-June | [mushrooms and truffles](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/mushrooms-and-truffles/) |
| Manna | Castelbuono and Pollina | harvest July-September, on sale all year | [manna](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-manna/) |
| Village desserts | Castelbuono, Polizzi Generosa, Gratteri | testa di turco in winter, the others all year | [desserts](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-desserts/) |
| Olive oil and wine | oil throughout the area, DOC wine between Sclafani Bagni and Caltavuturo | olives September to January, grape harvest festival in September | [olive oil and wine](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/olive-oil-and-wine/) |

## Town by town: what to eat and where

Every town has its product. Below is what official sources link to each village, with a link to the page of local places to eat.

### Castelbuono

Ash tree manna, testa di turco and the manna panettone born in Piazza Margherita. At the end of October the [Funghi Fest](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/funghi-fest-castelbuono/), in December Dolcemente Castelbuono. It is the inland town with the most places in our list: [where to eat in Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/where-to-eat/).

### Polizzi Generosa

The badda bean, a Slow Food Presidium, and sfoglio with tuma and chocolate. In August the Sagra delle Nocciole. Places in [where to eat in Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/where-to-eat/).

### Geraci Siculo, San Mauro Castelverde and Collesano

The provola towns: this is where the three Slow Food Presidium farms are. Geraci celebrates the transhumance at the end of May, San Mauro caciocavallo in early June, Collesano cheese in November. Ferula mushrooms also grow around Collesano. Places in [where to eat in Geraci Siculo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/geraci-siculo/where-to-eat/), [San Mauro Castelverde](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/san-mauro-castelverde/where-to-eat/) and [Collesano](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/collesano/where-to-eat/).

### Gratteri

S biscuits with fennel, taralle, vastedda fritta and canestrato vacchino: four traditional products in a single village. In August the festivals of the vastedda and of *purpietta c'addauru*, meatballs with bay leaves. Places in [where to eat in Gratteri](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gratteri/where-to-eat/).

### Gangi and Petralia Soprana

Wheat: the Sagra della Spiga in Gangi and the Sagra del Grano in Pianello, a hamlet of Petralia Soprana, both in August. In Raffo, another hamlet of Petralia Soprana, the Sagra del Sale is linked to the rock salt mine, and at the end of September grapes are trodden by foot in Piazza Duomo in Petralia Soprana. Places in [where to eat in Gangi](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gangi/where-to-eat/) and [where to eat in Petralia Soprana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-soprana/where-to-eat/).

### Petralia Sottana

At the end of October the [Festa dei Sapori Madoniti d'Autunno](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-dei-sapori-madoniti-autumn-food-festival/), which began as a chestnut festival, brings products from all over the Park along the main street. Places in [where to eat in Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/where-to-eat/).

### Isnello

Broad beans for Saints Peter and Paul on 29 June, the wild and heritage vegetables of the Madonie at the [April festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-delle-verdure-traditional-vegetables-isnello/), cheese, honey and roast chestnuts at Sapori d'Autunno in November. Places in [where to eat in Isnello](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/isnello/where-to-eat/).

### Castellana Sicula

Naturally leavened bread made with twice-milled durum wheat semolina, a traditional product, and sfoglio, which the regional sheet attributes to Castellana itself. At the end of July the Festival del Gelato Madonita. Places in [where to eat in Castellana Sicula](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castellana-sicula/where-to-eat/).

### Scillato

Fruit watered from the Agnello and Gulfone springs, in the Imera valley. The Scillato apricot is a Slow Food Presidium and is picked from late May for two or three weeks; the Biondo orange, a late variety, is picked in March and April and celebrated in early May with the [Sagra dell'Arancia](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-dell-arancia-orange-festival-scillato/). The Nebba olive is also a traditional product. Places in [where to eat in Scillato](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/scillato/where-to-eat/).

### Pollina

Manna, together with Castelbuono, with its August festival; olive oil, with the Sagra dell'Ulivo in Finale in November. Places in [where to eat in Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/where-to-eat/).

### Sclafani Bagni and Caltavuturo

The wine of the Contea di Sclafani DOC, which covers both municipalities entirely. At the end of August Sclafani Bagni hosts a wine and food festival with Michelin-starred chefs. Places in [where to eat in Sclafani Bagni](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/sclafani-bagni/where-to-eat/).

### Cefalù

The Madonie's gateway to the sea has almost half the places in our list. If you stay in Cefalù, you can drive up for the day to Gratteri, Isnello or Castelbuono for mountain products. In the hamlet of Sant'Ambrogio, in early November, there is a festival of the strawberry tree fruit. Places in [where to eat in Cefalù](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/cefalu/where-to-eat/).

## What to eat season by season

Madonie products follow the calendar of pastures, woods and fields. In short:

| Season | What to look for | Festivals to note |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | wild greens, provola (made March to June), basilisk mushroom, Biondo oranges, Scillato apricots at the end of May | vegetables in Isnello (April), oranges in Scillato (early May), transhumance in Geraci (end of May) |
| Summer | manna, broad beans, wheat, hazelnuts, ice cream made with local products | caciocavallo (June), broad beans (29 June), ice cream (July), manna, spiga, wheat, hazelnuts, vastedda (August) |
| Autumn | mushrooms, chestnuts, dried badda beans, olives and new oil, grape harvest | A Pistata (September), Funghi Fest and Sapori Madoniti (end of October), Ulivo and Sapori d'Autunno (November) |
| Winter | testa di turco, panettone and Christmas sweets | Dolcemente Castelbuono (December) |

The dates of each festival are in the [Madonie food festival calendar](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/food-festivals-calendar/), ordered by season.

## Which type of place to choose

The lemadonie.it list of [places to eat](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/where-to-eat/) sorts places by type. On 19 October 2026 it had 196 entries in 15 municipalities:

| Type | Entries | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant | 87 | sit-down lunch or dinner, full menu |
| Bar | 54 | breakfast, granita, snack |
| Food shop | 24 | cheese, cured meats, manna, sweets to take home |
| Pizzeria | 17 | informal dinner |
| Trattoria | 8 | home cooking, simple setting |
| Pastry shop | 6 | testa di turco, sfoglio, panettone |
| Farm restaurant | 1 | meal in the countryside, farm produce |

The type of each place comes from the entry's source, almost always OpenStreetMap, and is not a quality rating. The numbers change: the list is updated every week and only publishes an entry when it has a source that can be checked.

### Where the places are

The distribution is very uneven. Cefalù has 96 entries, Castelbuono 34, Pollina and Isnello 10 each, Petralia Soprana and Castellana Sicula 8, Polizzi Generosa and Collesano 7, Petralia Sottana 6. The other towns have between one and three, and Caltavuturo none for now.

So if you travel inland, plan ahead: choose the town where you will stop for lunch and check the opening hours on the entry, which come from OpenStreetMap and need checking, especially out of season and on weekdays.

## How to plan a food trip

Two ideas to adapt:

- **A day on the northern side**: morning in Castelbuono among pastry shops and food shops, a walk in the [Bosco di Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/bosco-di-castelbuono-giant-hollies/), lunch in town, afternoon in Pollina for manna. At the end of October add the Funghi Fest.
- **An August weekend**: Saturday in Polizzi Generosa for badda beans and sfoglio, evening in Gangi for the Sagra della Spiga; Sunday in Gratteri or Pollina, depending on the festival calendar.

To put together two full days of villages and trails, see our [weekend in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/magazine/weekend-in-the-madonie-2-day-itinerary/). If you start from Cefalù, the [Rocca di Cefalù](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/the-rocca-di-cefalu-and-the-temple-of-diana/) is a good walk before dinner.

## Recipes to try at home

If you want to recreate at home what you tasted, the guide to [traditional Madonie recipes](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/traditional-recipes/) collects only documented recipes: testa di turco, sfoglio, vastedda fritta, taralle, pane cu cruscenti and Isnello's broad beans.

## Related pages

- [Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/)
- [Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/)
- [Geraci Siculo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/geraci-siculo/)
- [San Mauro Castelverde](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/san-mauro-castelverde/)
- [Collesano](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/collesano/)
- [Gratteri](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gratteri/)
- [Gangi](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gangi/)
- [Petralia Soprana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-soprana/)
- [Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/)
- [Isnello](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/isnello/)
- [Castellana Sicula](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castellana-sicula/)
- [Scillato](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/scillato/)
- [Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/)
- [Sclafani Bagni](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/sclafani-bagni/)
- [Cefalù](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/cefalu/)
- [Bosco di Castelbuono: Piano Sempria and giant hollies](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/bosco-di-castelbuono-giant-hollies/)
- [The Rocca di Cefalù and the Temple of Diana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/the-rocca-di-cefalu-and-the-temple-of-diana/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What should you eat in the Madonie?

The products to look for are provola delle Madonie and caciocavallo, the badda bean of Polizzi Generosa, autumn mushrooms, the manna of Castelbuono and Pollina and the village desserts: testa di turco in Castelbuono, sfoglio in Polizzi, vastedda fritta in Gratteri. Many are Slow Food Presidia or traditional products of the Sicilian Region.

### Which is the best town for eating in the Madonie?

It depends on what you want. Castelbuono has the widest choice inland, with trattorias, pastry shops and food shops, and is the town of manna and testa di turco. Polizzi Generosa is the town of the badda bean and sfoglio. For cheese, head towards Geraci Siculo, San Mauro Castelverde and Collesano. Cefalù, on the coast, has the most places to eat.

### How many restaurants are in the lemadonie.it list?

On 19 October 2026 the list of places to eat had 196 entries in 15 municipalities: 87 restaurants, 54 bars, 24 food shops, 17 pizzerias, 8 trattorias, 6 pastry shops and one farm restaurant. Almost half are in Cefalù, 34 in Castelbuono. Each entry has a source and a date of check, and the list grows every week.

### When should you go to the Madonie to eat well?

Every season has its product. In spring there are wild greens and provola, in summer manna, broad beans and wheat with the August festivals, in autumn mushrooms, chestnuts, olives and badda beans, in winter testa di turco and panettone. For lots of tastings in a few days, choose August or late October.

### Where can you buy typical Madonie products?

In village food shops, in pastry shops and directly from the producers of the Slow Food Presidia, whom the Slow Food Foundation lists with their contacts: provola in San Mauro Castelverde, Geraci Siculo and Collesano, badda beans in Polizzi Generosa, manna in Pollina. Festivals are the easiest way to buy from several producers at once.

### What is the difference between trattoria, restaurant and food shop in the list?

The type of each entry comes from its source, almost always OpenStreetMap. Trattorias and restaurants serve sit-down meals; food shops sell products to take home; pastry shops sell sweets; bars serve breakfast and snacks. Use the filters by type and by town on the places to eat page.

## Sources

- [Elenco di dove mangiare di lemadonie.it (conteggio delle schede al 19 ottobre 2026)](https://www.lemadonie.it/dove-mangiare/)
- [Fondazione Slow Food, Presidio Provola delle Madonie](https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/provola-delle-madonie/)
- [Fondazione Slow Food, Presidio Fagiolo badda di Polizzi Generosa](https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/fagiolo-badda-di-polizzi/)
- [Fondazione Slow Food, Presidio Manna delle Madonie](https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/manna-delle-madonie/)
- [Fondazione Slow Food, Presidio Albicocca di Scillato](https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/albicocca-di-scillato/)
- [MASAF, elenco nazionale dei prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali (XXV revisione, 2025)](https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/22781)
- [Scheda tecnica PAT Arancia Biondo di Scillato (Regione Siciliana), riportata da Sicilia in Rete](https://www.lasiciliainrete.it/directory-tangibili/listing/arancia-biondo-di-scillato/)
- [Scheda tecnica PAT Albicocco di Scillato (Regione Siciliana), riportata da Sicilia in Rete](https://www.lasiciliainrete.it/directory-tangibili/listing/albicocco-di-scillato/)

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Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/what-to-eat/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.