Recipes as fictional modalities in Andrea Camilleri’s plots

Sylvie Camet

Article Details

Recipes as fictional modalities in Andrea Camilleri’s plots

Authors:

Sylvie Camet

Publisher:

La revue Littératures, Arts, Religions, Théologie, Éducation, Philosophie et Société

Journal:

La revue Littératures, Arts, Religions, Théologie, Éducation, Philosophie et Société Vol.1 Issue 1, pp.89-101

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

2/2026

Document Language:

French

Document ID (Org No.):

2001840255

pISSN:

3119-6594

Keywords:

Abstract:

 In Andrea Camilleri’s detective stories featuring Superintendent Montalbano, the only way to breathe between the tensions of the investigation and a world of violence and crime is to eat. Gustatory pleasure not only restores a certain plenitude to life, but is also understood as resistance. The demand for excellence in Sicilian cuisine exalts Mediterranean tradition against the convenience of fast food, symbolized by the speculative and industrious North. Culinary references are therefore not purely formal; they partially structure the subject matter, almost acquiring the status of political watchwords. The curator’s judgments refer to taste, to the aesthetics of the dishes, as indices of an ancestral cultural wealth. In his view, Sicily is asserting its historical independence from Italy on condition that it retains its unique know-how. The article draws on a number of novels to observe this constant: mealtime is sacred, offering those who savour it not only the opportunity for appeasement, but also reconciliation with the self. For a man whose emotions and cerebral work have taken their toll, food appears to be a return to the body, a way of paying homage to it. For readers, references to various typical recipes can become part of the realia. The products, colours and aromas acquire a presence that goes beyond mere folklore. The storyteller’s style is enriched by these gastronomic incursions, which develop, alongside the plot, the idea of a deeper thesis, beyond questions of criminality. The construction of the main character rests on this double vocation: that of being a fine sleuth, and that of being the guarantor of a national authenticity. The language is the repository of this uniqueness, through dialect borrowings and lexical creativity: the palate enjoys the sounds it articulates as much as it enjoys the food it tastes.

Article Details

Recipes as fictional modalities in Andrea Camilleri’s plots

Authors:

Sylvie Camet

Publisher:

La revue Littératures, Arts, Religions, Théologie, Éducation, Philosophie et Société

Journal:

La revue Littératures, Arts, Religions, Théologie, Éducation, Philosophie et Société Vol.1 Issue 1, pp.89-101

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

2/2026

Document Language:

French

Document ID (Org No.):

2001840255

pISSN:

3119-6594

Montalbano

Sicile

Gastronomie

Héritage culturel

Sud

Sicily

Gastronomy

Cultural Heritage

South

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Sylvie Camet

Publisher: La revue Littératures, Arts, Religions, Théologie, Éducation, Philosophie et Société

Journal: La revue Littératures, Arts, Religions, Théologie, Éducation, Philosophie et Société Vol.1 Issue 1, pp.89-101

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 2/2026

Document Language: French

Document ID (Org No.): 2001840255

pISSN: 3119-6594

Issues

Authors:

Sylvie Camet

Publisher:

La revue Littératures, Arts, Religions, Théologie, Éducation, Philosophie et Société

Journal:

La revue Littératures, Arts, Religions, Théologie, Éducation, Philosophie et Société Vol.1 Issue 1, pp.89-101

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

2/2026

Document Language:

French

Document ID (Org No.):

2001840255

pISSN:

3119-6594