Sicilian food is completely different from your usual Italian cuisine. If you’re going to be spending time in Sicily, don’t expect to grab a Roman carbonara or a Florentine steak.

Instead, imagine a cuisine filled with fresh vegetables, lots of seafood, and the smallest amount of meat. Imagine eggplants and pine nuts and swordfish, wild fennel growing on the side of the road, a sprinkling of couscous here and there, calamari grilled to perfection, liqueurs made from local fruits and herbs. And — I won’t lie — Sicilians have a tendency to get creative with the organs.