Pidone from Messina

Street Food

Morabito92 - CC4.0

The Messina pidone, also known as Pitone, is a rustic Messina with a half moon shape, similar to the calzone. The Messina pythons are the most famous street food in the city of Messina. It is a rustic fried stuffing, similar to a calzone in shape. The pastry, in the shape of a triangle or crescent, has a thin and crunchy dough and is typically stuffed with anchovies, tuma and curly endive. The distinctive features of the traditional python are the softness of the dough, the golden breading and the filling rich in local ingredients. The rustic was born from the tradition of the poorer cuisine of Messina, when these small crescents with pieces of cheese, tomatoes and curly escarole were fried with the rest of the bread dough. The difference in pronunciation, Python or Pidon, is linked to a different origin of the name. According to some, the term "python" could be traced back to a character from Greek mythology, Python. A serpent-dragon who, before being killed by Apollo, guarded the oracle of Delphi. Still following the Greek vein, others connect the "python" to the famous "pita". According to others, however, the original name of the Sicilian delicacy was "pidone", from "pede" (foot), or "wool sock" or "insole" with reference to the shape of the cottage.