Sicilian sweet “mpanatigghia”, made by a thin wrap filled with cocoa and meat, takes origin from Spanish “empanada” (from verb “empanar” which means wrap).
Traditionally, it’s used to refer the invention of this sweet to nuns from Modica, famous town in the South-eastern Sicily known for a unique chocolate .It’s a fact that the origins of Sicilian pastry have their roots in the cloisters. Here nuns, when priests went preaching through the country-side for Lent and couldn’t eat meat, used to prepare “mpanatigghia” with a “secret” filling. They didn’t want priests preaching ang going around without any calorie count from proteins. As a matter of fact, tasting this sweet, you don’t perceive the flavor of minced meat mixed with cocoa and almonds.