Granita is a cold spoon dessert, typical of Sicilian cuisine. It is a semi-frozen liquid mixture prepared with water, sugar and a fruit juice or other ingredient (in addition to fruit, almond, pistachio, chocolate and coffee are more common). It is often confused with sorbet, along with which it can be considered one of the progenitors of ice cream and from which it differs in that it is more granular (hence the name) and creamy at the same time-although this consistency varies from area to area and is almost indistinguishable from that of classic sorbet in eastern Sicily.
It is usually served in clear glass cups. Traditionally it was to be accompanied by fresh, crusty bread (and in some areas it still is), which has been replaced over time by the typical Catania brioscia prepared with leavened egg dough and shaped with a hemispherical base topped with a small ball (called tuppu or coppola or even nose). "A granita câ brioscia" was and is the typical breakfast of Sicilians, especially in summer and in coastal areas. On the other hand, coffee granita should not be confused with the so-called Sicilian "mezzofreddo," a substitute for espresso coffee on sultry summer days.
The origins of granita are usually traced back to Arab rule in Sicily. The Arabs brought with them the recipe for sherbet, an iced drink flavored with fruit juices or rose water. Messina nobles used snow, which in winter was collected in the Peloritani, Nebrodi, Madonie, Etna or Iblei mountains and stowed throughout the year in nivieri, special stone constructions erected over natural or artificial caves. In summer, the ice formed was taken out to be scraped and covered with fruit or flower syrups. This preparation, which also survives in Roman grattachecca, was still widespread until the early 20th century under the name "rattata" (grated).
In eastern Sicily, it is called in dialect "minnulata" of Etnean origin it is handed down that the ancient Sicanians, took ice from Etna and added blended almonds by mixing them, a mandorlata was made, this is the name of Minnulata in the Catanese dialect, which they call mennule the almonds.
During the 16th century, a major improvement was made to the sherbet recipe by discovering that snow, mixed with sea salt, could be used as a eutectic in order to freeze preparations-the collected snow thus changed from an ingredient to a refrigerant. The sump was born, a wooden vat with a zinc bucket inside, which could be turned with a crank. The cavity was filled with the eutectic mixture and the whole thing then placed in an insulating bed of straw. The mixture froze the contents of the sump by heat subtraction, while the rotating motion prevented the formation of too large ice crystals.
In Acireale, in the province of Catania, the "Nivarata" - an international festival of Sicilian Granita - takes place every year in June, with the best Granita Masters "i Nivaroli" competing. Here you will have the opportunity to taste the most unique and innovative flavors of Granita. Certainly an event not to be missed for those with a sweet tooth!
