arancini

plural noun

aran·​ci·​ni ˌä-rän-ˈchē-nē 

: rounded balls of cooked rice with savory fillings (such as mozzarella cheese) that are coated with bread crumbs and deep-fried

The lobster arancini and pureed potato croquettes captured his attention, and the pork and beef meatballs were worthy of a "best of" medal in Schaffer's eyes.

—Dana Hatic

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Menu items include Bolognese arancini and cacio e pepe pasta fritti — crispy pasta bites with Parmesan and pepper. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Sep. 2022

Besides pizzas with compelling toppings, try the arancini-like zucchini cakes to start, or share the Hot Mess salad: artichokes, cherry peppers and fresh mozzarella with greens in herb vinaigrette. —jsonline.com, 21 June 2022

Sicilian arancini have been delighting Italians since the 10th century with their combination of rice and savory fillings. —Casey Barber, CNN, 18 May 2022

The menu features a selection of canapes, including sweet petite oysters with shallot jam and spinach and wild mushroom arancini. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 12 Feb. 2022

The arancini are crisp and cheesy, with a punch of black pepper. —Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2021

This is partly thanks to the rich culture of street food, best tasted in open-air markets; from the now world-famous arancini to the traditional peasant food of sfincione, a pizza-like snack topped with tomato sauce and breadcrumbs. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 27 July 2021

Other new tastes include black truffle arancini ($14), summery watermelon and feta salad ($13) and the cipollotto e vodka pizza, with its briny olive tapenade and mellow scamorza cheese. —Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 24 June 2021

Appetizers — Thai-style street ribs, duck skin crispy tacos, shrimp cocktail and mushroom arancini — are $8 each. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2021

See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, plural of arancino, literally, "little orange," from arancio "orange" (borrowed from Arabic nāranj, with misdivision of the Italian article un) + -ino, diminutive suffix (going back to Latin -īnus, suffix of appurtenance) — more at orange entry 1, -ine entry 1

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above