Sicilian Grape Must Pudding (a farinata) is an ancient recipe prepared during the grape harvest season. This unique pudding is made with freshly pressed grape must, flavored with cinnamon and topped with toasted chopped nuts. And most importantly, it contains no sugar whatsoever!
With just one bite of this dish, I was transported back to my childhood. It was just as I remembered it, tart and not too sweet, smooth and silky and a bit of crunch due to the toasted nuts.
But before I tell you all about this recipe, I am curious to know if anyone knows of Sicilian grape must pudding, or a farinata as we call it in our dialect. If you have heard of this recipe please let me know by commenting below!
Once you’ve obtained the grape must necessary for making this recipe, it’s really quite simple. Made up of only four ingredients: grape must; cornstarch; cinnamon; chopped nuts as a garnish and absolutely no sugar whatsoever! For those of you who are not familiar with this recipe, allow me to explain.
What is Sicilian Grape Must Pudding?
This is an ancient Sicilian recipe that was prepared during the grape harvest (la vendemmia) each year. Freshly pressed grape must (before it begins the fermentation process thus turning it into wine) is used to make this pudding like dessert.
The grape must is boiled until reduced by half and then allowed to completely cool. Once cooled, cornstarch and cinnamon are stirred in and then brought to a boil until thickened. The pudding is poured onto plates and topped with crushed nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios. It is placed in the refrigerator to cool and set before it is served.
I also just learned of an interesting variation from my mother. A farinata was left out to dry in the sun for a few days and then cut into squares. This allowed it to be stored long term and was served as a special treat. I can imagine this was probably similar to gummies! Note: I am trying to dry out my own but of course since we don’t have access to Sicilian sun I have mine on a table by the window where lots of sunshine is pouring in. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
What is this dish called in Italian?
After much research looking for any evidence of something called farinata online, I came across similar recipes referred to as “mostarda di uva”. Interesting, however, my family has never called it as such. This is not to be confused with the mostarda prepared in northern Italy which resembles a chutney.
I also learned that in Sicily the grape must was boiled with ashes added to the mixture and then strained. Apparently, the ashes served to reduce the amount of acidity in the grape must. Fascinating!
In the case of my family’s dialect, my mother clarified that the word farinata refers to flour (farina in Italian) because originally the pudding was thickened with flour instead of cornstarch. It reminds me of my mother’s zuppa inglese recipe, or crema as we call it, also thickened with cornstarch.
Origins of this recipe
This dish was prepared only by my maternal aunt, Zia Carmela, each year when my uncle made wine. Individual plates of this beautiful deep purple colored farinata were then distributed to family members. My mom never made this dish and unfortunately the recipe was lost with my aunt.
I pieced this recipe together with the help of my cousin in Sicily, one of my mother’s cousins in Australia as well as my mother’s recollections of my nonna making a farinata in Sicily. Thank goodness for social media!
My mission to find grape must
My mission to recreate this recipe began with the search for grape must! Unfortunately we stopped making wine at our house when my father passed away twelve years ago. However I’m lucky enough to live near a city where wine making is common at this time of year. So, I scoured Montreal for a vendor who was willing to sell me only one wood crate of wine grapes, and this was not an easy task. But alas, I found a kind soul who agreed not only to sell me one crate, but he arranged to have them crushed for me as well.
I hurried home with a large plastic bucket containing 16 liters of grape must. Next I immediately set out to transfer it to glass gallons and refrigerate it until I was ready to proceed with this recipe. If I had left it out at room temperature, inevitably the fermentation process would begin.
The following morning I began the process of preparing a farinata, at last. By the way, in case you’re wondering, yes I made lots of farinata with all that grape must!
How to make Sicilian Grape Must Pudding (a farinata)
You’ll find the complete printable recipe card at the end of this post. The following is step by step instructions with images to guide you.
Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the grape must which will without a doubt contain bits of grape skins, seeds or other particles. I strained mine four times. Alternately, it may also be boiled immediately and strained at the end of cooking. Both methods work well.
Here is what it looked like before I strained it:
And here it is after I strained it.
Place the grape must in a large heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to skim off the foam that comes to the surface. Lower to medium heat and boil until it has reduced by half. This took me about an hour and fifteen minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly before placing it in the refrigerator to cool completely, at least four hours or overnight.
When you are ready to make the farinata, transfer most of the reduced grape must to the same large pot as before. Whisk cornstarch into the remaining grape must in the bowl until completely smooth.
Whisk this mixture into the pot with the rest of the grape must and add cinnamon.
Bring to a boil and cook on medium high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (about 5-6 minutes).
Ladle the mixture onto dinner plates immediately as it will begin to set. I filled two large 10 inch plates. Top with toasted chopped nuts of your choice such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios. I chose walnuts as that is what my aunt also topped her farinata with.
Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely. Spoon onto individual plates to serve. 
Tips and suggestions:
- If you don’t have access to freshly pressed grape must another alternative would be to buy approximately 2.5 kg of wine grapes and pass them through a food mill.
- This recipe makes 2 -10 inch dinner plates full but the recipe can be easily halved.
- Keep the grape must refrigerated until you are ready to prepare your farinata.
- Garnish with toasted nuts of your choice such as almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios.
- This dish keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
If you give this ancient Sicilian recipe a try, please let me know by commenting below. Feel free to Pin the recipe for later. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 4 litres grape must from red wine grapes freshly pressed (about 16 cups)
- 100 grams walnuts toasted and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 200 grams cornstarch (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the grape must which will without a doubt contain bits of grape skins, seeds or other particles. I strained mine four times. Alternately, it may also be boiled immediately and strained at the end of cooking. Both work well.
- Place the grape must in a large heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to skim off the foam that rises to the surface. Lower to medium heat and boil until it has reduced by half. This took me about an hour and fifteen minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly before placing it in the refrigerator to cool completely, at least four hours or overnight.
- Once it has completely cooled, transfer most of the reduced grape must to the same large pot as before. Whisk cornstarch into the remaining grape must until completely smooth.
- Whisk this mixture into the pot with the rest of the grape must and add cinnamon. Bring to a oil and cook on medium high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (about 5-6 minutes).
- Ladle the mixture onto dinner plates immediately as it will begin to set. I filled two large 10 inch plates. Top with toasted chopped nuts of your choice. I chose walnuts as that is what my aunt also topped her farinata with.
- Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely. To serve, spoon onto individual plates.
Notes
- If you don't have access to freshly pressed grape must another alternative would be to buy approximately 2.5 kg of wine grapes and pass them through a food mill.
- This recipe makes 2 -10 inch dinner plates full but the recipe can be easily halved.
- Keep the grape must refrigerated until you are ready to prepare your farinata.
- Garnish with toasted nuts of your choice such as almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios.
- This dish keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Hi Nadia, I am thrilled to find your recipe a Farinata, the same as my mother used to make every year during winemaking we are from Calabria and call it Mustarda. My husband makes wine every year and I look forward to putting aside a large amount of grape must. I boil and reduce it to a syrup and leave some for my Mustarda and the rest once cooled I put it away in a bottle and store it in the fridge for months, I use it to marinade Pork Ribs, Roasts, drizzle on ice cream and ricotta etc similar to vincotto it’s Delicious !! Thank you from Australia
Hi Lina, it seems like those from my parent’s home town are the only ones who call it farinata! I’m glad you were glad to find my recipe and thanks for sharing your idea of what to do with the rest that I refrigerated. I have not yet found a way to use and your idea of marinating ribs sounds delicious! Thank you!
Hi Nadia,
Thank you for sharing this and for all of your wonderful recipes! I have been trying to track down and learn some of my family’s (Bianca Villa) traditional Sicilian dishes. My Nonna used to make a recipe she called mostaccioli (not sure if I’m spelling that right) with honey. I believe in Sicily, she would make it with the syrup from Fico d’india but when she moved to the States, honey was the closest substitute she could find. I was fascinated when I read that you were trying a version of this recipe where you would dry out the pudding and cut into squares, because this sounds very much like the mostaccioli that I remember from my childhood. It had a slightly chewy texture and was topped with nuts- delicious! After scouring the internet, I found a recipe for a version made with grape must and so I made a batch this Christmas after finding a bottle of grape must on Amazon. I have been having so much trouble finding any info about this recipe that I was thrilled to see your post, which very much seems like a variation on the sweet that my family enjoyed every year for Christmas. I am excited to try many of your dishes!
Hi Stefania, thank you for your lovely comment! I have heard of mostaccioli but I have never made them before. I’m glad to hear you found some grape must on Amazon, I didn’t think of looking there! It took me a while to hunt down a wine grape vendor who would sell me such a small amount to make this recipe but it was worthwhile! Thanks again and happy Easter to you!
Yes we always made this at Christmas! My family is from Messina and my dad would make it with tart grape juice using cornstarch. But he would talk about how is was made from the wine pressings.
I am making it this year! Thanks for the post and recipe. We also called it Mustarda.
Hi John, I have learned that the only people who call this dish ‘farinata’ are those from my mom’s home town! Otherwise it sounds like the exact same recipe. Hope yours turns out as you expected. Enjoy!
Very interesting heritage recipe, Nadia. My husband’s family never made it even though my father-in – law always made his own wine every year– they were from Calabria. They would mix musto with pig blood and other ingredients to make sanguinaccio dolce.
Hi Pat, from the feedback I’ve received so far it really seems to be specific to Sicily. In fact I have not encountered many people who know of it at all! Yes, I do know about the sanguinaccio but I must admit I’ve never tasted it. Are you a fan?
I have never heard of this; my husband, who passed away in 2011, and his family (Abbruzese) made wine each year until his death and never have any of them even mentioned it. In truth, I very much doubt that the men in the family would give up even a fistful of grapes taken from their precious wine stash :>). I live about 35 miles north of Boston where the grape market is, can only drive locally now that I’ve turned 83 and am wary about driving to places I’m not sure of,, and strongly doubt I would be sold only one box (usually about 60 lbs.), so don’t think I will ever make this. I am intrigues, however, and wish I lived near you so I could have a bite of your effort. I so admire your research and effort in providing us with historical recipes from Sicily. As I’ve written to you previously, my mama was from Naples, papa from Calabria, but I strongly recognize our cooking in your recipes, maybe some minor differences but not much given papa taught mama to cook (she was 17 when they married) and Calabria’s cooking is very similar to that of Sicily in many ways I think. Thank you Nadia, for your commitment and industry in providing us with wonderful food and the history surrounding it.
Hi Anna, as far as I know this recipe is known mainly in Sicily. And yes, obtaining this one case of crushed grape must was definitely a challenge but so worthwhile. An option would be to buy grapes and pass them through a food mill in order to obtain the must to make this recipe. And regarding the guitar to make the pasta, I’ve seen that as well. The shape is slightly different from the maccaruna. Pasta alla chitarra has a more squared shape whereas the maccaruna are round. And I think you could probably purchase one, have you checked online?
Hi Nadia,
This recipe is nostalgic of when my dad would make wine during the fall season. For my Sicilian (Messinesi) parents making this wine pudding which we called MUSTARDA was a tradition. Nadya, It’s wonderful to see these recipes and there are so many skills of foodmaking, preserving that I also acquired as a I saw my mom and dad keep them in their new home country. The advantages are so many however, the result of not passing them to our children, the recipe or skill will be lost. I’m glad my daughter is continuing some of our traditions.
Hi Nancy, it’s so interesting to learn that everyone else refers to this as mostarda except for those from my parent’s home town. They simply call it ‘a farinata’. I’m so enjoying learning about the differences in recipes from one area of Sicily to another. I was so excited to finally learn how to make this recipe and best of all my family enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment!
I remember my mum making la mustarda’ it was made with the ashes of the woodwhen they prued the grapes I believe this also Helped to sweeten and thicken once cooked it was put in molds the next day it was taken out of the mold and left out in the sun to dry and be kept for when needed I don t have a recipe I just remember that when we immigrated to Australia mum still made the mustarda this way
Hello, I did read about the use of ashes in the recipe but my mom was not aware of this. Apparently it helped reduce the level of acidity. My mom also mentioned that my nonna would dry it in the sun and then they stored in for long periods of time. Of course we don’t have that Sicilian sun so I attempted to dry mine in the oven. Thanks for sharing this with me!
Sorry for all my errors. The mustata will start forming mold not mild! Darn autocorrect!
No worries Margaret I understood. And thanks for the tip, I just transferred it to the oven right now. I’ll post an update!