Located just 100 miles north of Tunisia and separated from the Italian mainland by the Strait of Messina, Sicily boasts a food culture that’s rich, culturally complex and distinctly its own. Heavily influenced by its position on the Mediterranean, as well as its Greek, French, Spanish and North African neighbors, the island only became part of Italy in 1860, giving unique, classic dishes like arancini and cassata plenty of time to evolve in a delicious culinary bubble. Rather than the north’s eggy pastas, cheese and cured pork, many of Sicily’s most famous recipes feature local, sun-soaked ingredients, such as seafood, olives, raisins, eggplant, capers and tomatoes. Home of cannoli and granita, the region is also known for Italian sweets. Ready to plan your own food tour? Here are the top dishes you should try to get a taste of Sicilian cooking.