Anthony Bourdain had a great line for writing about foods he greatly admired but was trying on the fly. “I am hardly an expert on this subject,” he would say of Hanoi pho or Manila sisig. “Merely an enthusiast.” I have similar feelings about arancini. I didn’t grow up eating fried rice balls, but since moving here, I don’t think I’ve successfully resisted them once.

Arancini translates as “little oranges,” but that’s just one way they can look. They range in size from golf ball to grapefruit and come in different shapes: spheres, orbs, and cones of soft, saffron-laden rice. They’re often filled with meat and peas, but eggplant, mushroom, and tomato are common, too. After being shaped and stuffed, they’re battered and breadcrumbed. Each one takes several minutes to fry.