Three Generations of Passion: From Grandfather to Today
Sicula Food Express was born in Scordia, in the heart of eastern Sicily, from a family history linked to the land and citrus cultivation.
For three generations, our family has been dedicated to agriculture. A tradition that began with our grandfather and that we continue today through our farm, with the same connection to the territory but with an eye to the future.
Sicula Food Express is our way of bringing this story directly into customers' homes: Sicilian citrus fruits grown on our land and a selection of specialties linked to the gastronomic tradition of Sicily.
Our story: from the family farm to Sicula Food Express
Our agricultural history began long before e-commerce.
For our family, farming is not just an activity, but a wealth of knowledge built up over generations. We have learned about trees, their rhythms, the seasons, and the characteristics of the territory through daily work in our citrus groves.
Today, this experience continues at Azienda Agricola Giulio Lardaruccio, from which the Sicula Food Express project originated.
We chose to sell directly online because we wanted to shorten the distance between those who cultivate and those who buy. Without a long commercial chain, we can tell with greater transparency where our citrus fruits come from, how they are grown, and how they are harvested.
Scordia, land of citrus fruits at the foot of Etna
Our citrus groves are located in Scordia, in the province of Catania, a territory that has always been deeply linked to agriculture and citrus cultivation.
The proximity of Etna helps to create particular conditions for cultivation: the territory is also characterized by the presence of volcanic components in the soil and a Mediterranean climate with significant temperature excursions.
It is in this environment that we cultivate our oranges and other citrus fruits, following the natural timing of the different varieties.
The territory is particularly linked to blood oranges, whose pigmentation is also influenced by climatic conditions and the temperature excursions typical of the cultivation areas.
For us, talking about Sicilian citrus fruits therefore means talking first and foremost about the place where they are born.
One citrus grove: what we ship grows in our fields
One of the principles on which we built Sicula Food Express is simple:
what we ship grows on our land.
We do not buy citrus fruits from other producers to resell them under our name. The citrus varieties we offer in our production are grown in our fields in Scordia.
This allows us to know the product's journey directly: from the tree to the harvest, from order preparation to shipping.
Alongside our own citrus fruits, in our e-commerce we also offer a selection of specialties and traditional Sicilian products. In this case, we choose companies and products that we believe are consistent with our idea of quality and with the gastronomic character of Sicily.
Citrus fruits harvested according to their season
We do not force nature to follow the commercial calendar.
Each citrus variety has its own ripening period and its own season. This is why the availability of our products follows the natural cycle of cultivation.
Whenever possible, we harvest citrus fruits based on the orders received, avoiding unnecessarily early harvesting or keeping the fruit in storage for long periods.
From Moro to Tarocco, from Navelina to Valencia, each variety has different characteristics and timings.
This is why on our website we describe the individual varieties and their indicative periods of availability.
No post-harvest treatment
One of our most important choices concerns what happens after harvest.
Our citrus fruits are not subjected to post-harvest chemical treatments and are not waxed.
Once harvested, they are prepared for shipment without resorting to post-harvest treatments designed to artificially prolong their shelf life.
This is also why we pay particular attention to harvesting, order preparation, and shipping times.
However, it is important to distinguish this choice from any treatments carried out during cultivation: in agriculture, the protection of the plant and fruit also involves compliance with regulations and the pre-harvest waiting periods.
Our philosophy is to intervene responsibly and targeted, prioritizing monitoring and prevention.
Agricultural tradition and innovation
Tradition does not mean standing still.
Alongside the knowledge handed down by our family, we have also chosen to use modern technological tools to better understand our land and our plants.
Technology can also become a useful tool in agriculture: crop monitoring through precision agriculture systems allows us to observe the state of the plants and identify any anomalies more quickly.
It is an approach that combines two seemingly distant worlds: the experience of those who have worked the land for generations and new technologies.
The goal is not to replace agricultural experience, but to enable it to work better.
From our land to your table
Sicula Food Express was created to make it easier to buy Sicilian products directly from those who grow and select them.
When you buy our citrus fruits, you know where they come from: our lands in Scordia.
When you choose a specialty from our selection, you will find products that we have chosen to tell other aspects of Sicilian gastronomy: oil and olives, honey, jams and preserves, creams, pestos, pâtés, preserves and liqueurs.
Our project therefore starts with citrus fruits, but aims to tell a broader gastronomic Sicily, made of ingredients, recipes and traditions.
Our commitment
Cultivating means first and foremost having respect for what you do and for the territory in which you do it.
This is why we try to maintain a direct relationship with our land, following the cycles of cultivation and enhancing what each season offers us.
We want every order to have an understandable and transparent story behind it: a family of farmers, a territory, a citrus grove and the work necessary to bring a product from Sicily to your home.
Sicula Food Express is this: the taste of Sicily, directly to your home.
Giulio Lardaruccio Farm
Sicula Food Express is a brand of Azienda Agricola Giulio Lardaruccio, based in Scordia, in the province of Catania.
Our agricultural activity and our e-commerce arise from the same goal: to enhance the work of the land and create a more direct relationship between producer and consumer.
