Flavors · Palermo

Pani ca' meusa

Soft sesame bread filled with cooked calf spleen and lung, then reheated in lard. It can be served just with lemon or with cheese and ricotta. It’s Palermo’s most typical street sandwich.

Traditional dish from Palermo, Sicília

Also known as: pani câ meusa, pani câ mèusa, pani ca meusa, pane ca' meusa, pane con la milza

Updated November 2026

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Click a photo to enlarge it.

Pani ca' meusa — Palermo, Italy — Pani ca' meusa

Pani ca' meusa — Palermo, Italy

The pani ca' meusa, Sicilian for “bread with spleen,” includes calf spleen and lung, sometimes also trachea, first simmered and cut into thin strips, then kept in large pots of hot lard. At serving time, the vendor, called a meusaro, places a generous portion inside a vastedda, a round soft sesame roll.

There are two ways to order. Schettu, “single,” is the sandwich with only the meat, salt and a little lemon. Maritatu, “married,” also includes grated caciocavallo or fresh ricotta, or both. The sandwich is wrapped in paper and eaten hot, standing up.

The origin is attributed to Palermo’s old Jewish community, whose butchers, according to tradition, received offal as part of payment for slaughtering and sold it cooked. After the expulsion of Jews from Sicily at the end of the 15th century, the preparation is said to have been taken up by Christian vendors. The story has been told for generations, but there is no direct documentation.

Pani ca' meusa is sold at historic kiosks, in street markets such as Ballarò and Capo, and at friggitorie in the old center. It is one of the symbols of Palermo street food, alongside panelle and arancina.

Share: WhatsApp

Where it comes from

Palermo , Sicília
Palermo street sandwich, sold by meusari in the city’s markets and kiosks.

Ingredients

Calf spleen and lung, lard, vastedda (round sesame roll), salt and lemon; for the maritatu: caciocavallo and ricotta.

How it is eaten

Hot, eaten with the hands while standing by the kiosk; schettu with lemon, or maritatu with cheese and ricotta.

When it is eaten

Year-round, as a snack or quick lunch.

Your questions

Questions about Pani ca' meusa

What is pani ca' meusa?

It’s a Palermo sandwich of soft sesame bread filled with calf spleen and lung that are cooked and reheated in lard.

What is the difference between schettu and maritatu?

Schettu has only the meat, salt and lemon. Maritatu adds caciocavallo and ricotta.

Flavors of Italy

Discover other flavors of Italy

Dish · Alghero

Aragosta alla catalana

Cooked lobster served cold in pieces, with ripe tomato, raw onion, olive oil and sometimes lemon. It is the dish that best symbolizes Alghero, a city of Catalan heritage in northwest Sardinia.

Dish · Bari

Focaccia barese

Tall, soft focaccia made with cooked potato in the dough, topped with crushed cherry tomatoes, olives, oregano and plenty of olive oil, with a crispy edge. It’s named after Bari and is the city’s most common snack.

Dish · Bari

Orecchiette alle cime di rapa

Small semolina dumplings shaped like little ears, handmade and cooked with turnip leaves and shoots, seasoned with garlic, anchovy, chili, and olive oil. In Bari, the orecchiette are made in public on the old town’s street.

Dish · Bologna

Tagliatelle al ragù

Fresh egg pasta ribbons served with ragù, a slow-cooked meat sauce with tomato. The width of the tagliatella and the ragù recipe are registered with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.

Dish · Bologna

Tortellini in brodo

Small rings of egg pasta filled with pork, ham, mortadella and cheese, served in a meat broth. The filling recipe is registered in Bologna, and the dish is traditional at year-end celebrations.

Dish · Camogli

Focaccia di Recco col formaggio

Two very thin sheets of unleavened dough with melted fresh cheese between them, baked in a very hot oven on round copper pans. It is protected as a geographical indication and may only be made in Recco, Sori, Avegno and Camogli.

Dish · Capri

Insalata caprese

Cold dish of alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella, with basil leaves and olive oil. Red, white and green, it is named after the island of Capri, where it is said to have originated according to the most cited accounts.

Sweet · Capri

Torta caprese

Low dark chocolate and almond cake, made without wheat flour. It has a thin crust on the outside and a moist interior. It’s named after Capri, where several stories place its origin.

Dish · Catania

Pasta alla Norma

Pasta with tomato sauce, fried eggplant, basil and grated salted ricotta on top. It’s the dish that identifies Catania, and the name honors the opera Norma by Catanian composer Vincenzo Bellini.

Dish · Cortina d'Ampezzo

Casunziei ampezzani

Half-moons of fresh pasta filled with beet and potato, seasoned with melted butter, poppy seeds and cheese. They are the typical pasta of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the Dolomites.

Dish · Emília-Romanha

Piadina romagnola

Round, flat bread made from flour, lard or olive oil, salt and water, cooked on a griddle and filled at the time with cold cuts, cheese or greens. It’s the food of the entire Romagna region, protected as a geographical indication, in two versions: a thicker one and a thin one from Rimini.

Dish · Florence

Bistecca alla fiorentina

Thick T-bone beef steak, grilled over embers and served rare, seasoned only with salt and olive oil. It’s named after Florence and is usually ordered to share.

Dish · Florence

Lampredotto

Lampredotto sandwich — the cow’s fourth stomach, slowly cooked in broth and served on a round roll with a green or spicy sauce. It’s Florence’s most typical street food, sold at trippai stalls.

Dish · Genoa

Focaccia genovese

Low, soft focaccia marked by little dimples filled with olive oil and brine, with a golden, salty surface. The people of Genoa eat it at any time, even for breakfast, dipped in coffee with milk.

Dish · Genoa

Trofie al pesto

Short, hand-rolled twisted pasta seasoned with pesto genovese: basil, garlic, pinoli, cheeses and olive oil crushed in a mortar. Genoa is the city of pesto, and trofie come from the neighboring coast.

Dish · Milan

Cotoletta alla milanese

Veal chop on the bone, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in butter. In 2008, the Milan city council granted it a municipal denomination under the name costoletta alla milanese.

Sweet · Milan

Panettone

Tall, cylindrical sweet bread made from slowly fermented dough with butter, eggs, raisins and candied fruit. It is Milan’s Christmas sweet, surrounded by legends about its origin.

Dish · Milan

Risotto alla milanese

Yellow saffron risotto, cooked in beef stock and finished with butter and cheese. It is the dish most associated with Milanese cuisine and is also served with ossobuco.

Dish · Naples

Pizza napoletana

Soft-dough pizza with a high, airy crust, hand-stretched and baked briefly in a wood-fired oven. The classic versions are marinara and margherita. The craft of those who make it in Naples is recognized by UNESCO as intangible heritage.

Sweet · Naples

Sfogliatella riccia

Sweet shaped like a shell made of very thin overlapping sheets of pastry that crackle when you bite them. The filling is cooked semolina, ricotta, sugar and candied fruit. Served warm, it is one of the best-known pastries of Naples.

Dish · Palermo

Arancina

Rice ball with saffron, stuffed, breaded and fried. In Palermo it’s called arancina (feminine) and is round like an orange. It is the food of Saint Lucy’s Day, December 13, when people from Palermo do not eat bread or pasta.

Sweet · Palermo

Cassata siciliana

Sponge cake and sweetened ricotta cream, covered in green pasta reale and topped with icing and candied fruit. An Easter sweet, it layers the history of Sicily and is linked to the convents of Palermo.

Dish · Rome

Carciofi alla giudia

Whole Roman-style artichokes, fried twice in olive oil until they open like a golden flower, with crispy leaves and a tender heart. It is a dish from the Roman-Jewish tradition, linked to the city’s old ghetto.

Dish · Rome

Spaghetti alla carbonara

Pasta seasoned with egg yolk, toasted guanciale, pecorino romano and freshly ground black pepper. The cream forms from the heat of the pasta, without heavy cream. Although the origin is debated, it is one of the dishes that identify Roman cuisine.

Dish · Sardenha

Porceddu

Whole suckling pig slowly roasted on a spit next to a wood fire, scented with myrtle, until the skin becomes crispy. It is the dish of festivals and large gatherings in Sardinia, served on cork trays.

Sweet · Sardenha

Seadas

Discs of semolina dough filled with fresh cheese flavored with lemon or orange zest, fried and topped with honey. It is Sardinia’s best-known sweet, originating in the island’s pastoral interior.

Making the Sicilian cannolo — Sicily, Italy.

Sweet · Sicília

Cannolo siciliano

A tube of fried, crunchy pastry filled on the spot with sweet sheep’s ricotta cream, decorated at the ends with candied fruit or pistachio. It’s Sicily’s best-known sweet, associated with Carnival.

Sweet · Siena

Panforte di Siena

Round, flat, dense sweet made with candied fruit, almonds, honey and spices. It has medieval origins in Siena and comes in two versions: the white one, dusted with sugar, and the darker, more spiced one. It is protected as a geographical indication.

Sweet · Siena

Ricciarelli di Siena

Soft cookies made from almond paste, sugar and egg white, shaped like a diamond, with a cracked surface dusted with sugar. They are one of Siena’s Christmas sweets and have protected geographical indication.

Dish · Trentino-Alto Ádige

Canederli

Bread dumplings made from stale bread mixed with milk, eggs and speck, cheese or herbs, cooked and served in broth or with melted butter. They are the dish of both provinces of Trentino-Alto Adige, where they are also called Knödel.

Drink · Turin

Bicerin

Hot drink served in a small glass cup, in three unmixed layers: thick hot chocolate, espresso coffee and heavy cream. It is Turin’s typical drink, linked to the city’s historic cafés since the 18th century.

Drink · Turin

Vermouth di Torino

A flavored wine made with wormwood, herbs and spices, born in Turin at the end of the 18th century. Drunk neat or in cocktails, it is the base of the Turin aperitivo and has its own geographical indication.

Dish · Vale de Aosta

Fonduta valdostana

Hot, smooth cream of Fontina cheese slowly melted with milk, butter and egg yolks, served with toasted bread, potatoes or polenta. It’s the dish that best represents Fontina PDO, the cheese of the Aosta Valley.

Dish · Venice

Baccalà mantecato

Air-dried cod, soaked, cooked and whipped with olive oil until it becomes a light white cream. It is served over polenta or bread in Venice’s bacari and links the city to the story of the navigator who brought this fish from Norway.