Some say this is the oldest example of dessert in human history, as there are mentions of it (called generically pancake) in many passages of the Bible and of the Quran. The batter of flour, water and eggs is deep fried in olive oil or in lard and then filled with sweet ricotta cheese, chocolate drops, pistachio grains and candied fruit, resulting in at least in 250 grams of delight.

In Sicily, the sfincia is a main character on March 19th, Saint Joseph s day ( Father s day ), the whole of Sicily faithfully loves it. On that day, and even on previous days , the sfincia becomes as important as arancina on Santa Lucia day. The name “sfincia” has the same origin as “sfincione” (from the latin “spongia”, that means sponge), but they are two items with very little in common