You may know her from the “scandalous” Sicilian dessert, or at least have seen it in photos. Small mounds, covered in a layer of sugary, white marzipan and adorned with a candied cherry on top. It’s also popular in iconic religious imagery, with a painting revealing the saint who is holding a pair of cakes on a plate.
Some say these mini cassate resemble Etna in the winter time, the cherry representing lava flow, but side by side, le minne or i minnuzzi actually represent the breasts of Saint Agatha and how she suffered for her faith — and they are just one of the many traditions that dominate the Festival of Saint Agatha, celebrated every year in Catania in early February.
