Get to know the Sicilians: Interview 4 – Walter Treccarichi

Get to know Walter Treccarichi and his thoughts on Sicily and the Sicilians

Walter Treccarichi | 30 | Professional Poker Player | Catania

What does your work involve?

I am a professional poker player. I have been traveling to various casinos in Europe and around the world to play poker tournaments for more than 10 years now. I also play tournaments on the Internet (which is more convenient because you can do it directly from home), but I prefer to play live, also because I love to travel and discover new places.

What are the next events you are planning on participating in?

Given the pandemic, unfortunately there have been no live tournaments for more than a year, although now something is starting to move especially in the United States, the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas (the World Championships of Poker) by the end of September, so unless they change it I’ll definitely go there.

Do you feel like you represent Sicily when you are abroad?

10 years ago when there was the boom of poker in Italy there were many Sicilian players who, like me, went to casinos around Europe to play tournaments, now I think I am the only Sicilian who continues to do it constantly, so often I feel like I’m representing Sicily!

What was it like growing up in Sicily?

I grew up in Cesarò which is a small mountain village in the centre of Sicily with less than 3 thousand inhabitants, so as a child I had a lot of freedom since everyone in the village knows everyone, and I was out all day playing with friends. Then at 14, before starting high school, I moved to Catania, and for me, having been used to living in a small village, it was like moving to a metropolis! I can tell you that for me growing up in Sicily was fantastic.

When you are not in Sicily what are some of the things that you miss?

When I am abroad for a long time there are many things I miss about Sicily. Food first of all, for example, you are in America and you are peckish at 6 pm…what do you eat? That’s when you miss an arancino or a Cipollina (small savoury pastries with onion, ham, mozzarella and tomato salsa inside) at the bar!

Then I certainly miss the Sicilian atmosphere, how people live life lightly, which to those who come from outside may also seem out of the ordinary. Also, surely when I am outside of Sicily I miss the Sicilian landscapes, from Etna that always watches over us to the fantastic beaches we have here.

What are some of the places that any visitor to Sicily MUST SEE?

So there are an infinity of places to absolutely see in Sicily starting from the beautiful Taormina, an excursion on the Etna Volcano, Syracuse and its beautiful island of Ortigia, the baroque cities of Noto and Ragusa, the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, the Scala dei Turchi, the Aeolian Islands and the Aegadian Islands. There are so many places to see that I can’t even list them and that even many Sicilians haven’t seen at all!

Is Sicily a dangerous place?

Absolutely not, I have been to many places around the world and Sicily is certainly one of the places where I feel the safest. Crime exists as it does in every part of the world, but here it is not at all as violent as it can be in America or in South America where you risk your life when you are robbed.

Is it true that Sicilians have a special relationship with the volcano Etna?

More than Sicilians in general, I would tell you all those who were born and raised under Etna, in particular the people of Catania or the surrounding areas. We see it as a kind of entity that always looks at us and protects us, despite the various eruptions over the years that are more spectacular than dangerous. Also, certainly it influences the character of many of us Sicilians, who have an ‘explosive’ or ‘volcanic’ character.

What, in your opinion, is the best event or festival in Sicily?

As an event I couldn’t possibly not tell you about the Festival of Sant’Agata in Catania, also considered the third most popular religious event in the world. It is celebrated in early February every year and on those days there is a magical atmosphere in Catania. Thousands of the faithful who spend days around the city following the Saint, carrying with them the large candles that have an incredible weight and screaming at the top of their lungs for days until they all eventually lose their voices. An experience that I recommend everyone to try at least once.

You have tried food from all over the world, where do you rank Sicilian food?

I will certainly be biased, but I rank Sicilian food in the top 3 of my favorite foods in the world, because Sicilian cuisine varies from simple and light dishes to complicated and ‘heavy’ dishes. But it is certainly the goodness and the great variety of raw materials that make me love this cuisine. Also, because each area, each town has its own particular ingredient that is used in many typical dishes, for example the Bronte pistachio, the Pachino tomato, the almonds from Avola, they are all ingredients of a particularity and a goodness that you cannot find anywhere else in the world!

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