Sicilian Granita Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a Sicilian granita? ›

Granita for breakfast

A Sicilian specialty, granita is a cold, sweet treat made from water, sugar, and fruit that is never completely frozen. It's mixed continuously to obtain a texture that is simultaneously grainy and creamy.

Like sorbet, granitas are often made from a puree of fruit, sugar, and water, but the difference is in their textures. Unlike sorbets, which are smooth-churned, granita purees are poured into a pan and placed in the freezer. The surface is scraped multiple times as it freezes, creating coarse, icy flakes.

Granita (Italian: [ɡraˈniːta]; in Italian also granita siciliana, Italian: [ɡraˈniːta sitʃiˈljaːna]) is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings. Originally from Sicily, it is available throughout Italy in varying forms.

Almond. This is the most popular flavour, and the addition of bitter almonds enhances the aroma.

The texture of authentic granita is halfway between the creaminess of gelato and the granularity of sorbetto. Granita contains small ice crystals which you should feel with your tongue; the ice crystals should be compact, not liquid and soft like a sorbet.

The original, authentic version from Sicily comes from Palermo and is called sfincione, which loosely translates as "thick sponge." Sicilian pizza has a fluffy, spongy bread base topped with a meatless sauce made from tomatoes, onions, herbs, and anchovies, which is covered with breadcrumbs and an optional grating of ...

In Sicily, granita is not enjoyed all by itself - it's almost always consumed with an accompanying bun of fluffy brioche (and the brioche buns have a bun of their own: a little ball on top of the dough called a tuppo in reference to the low-bun hairstyle popularized by Sicilian women).

Limone (Lemon) – The most traditional, refreshing and low-calorie flavour. Gelsi (Mulberry) – Flavourful and refreshing, for exquisite tastes. Fragola (Strawberry) –Fresh and sweet, it goes well with the lemon flavour. Pesca (Peach) – Delicious and light, great in combination with the almond or mulberry flavour.

Israelis call this frozen drink Granita, which is shaved lightly frozen flavored ice. Here, it would probably be called Frappuccino. Whether you call it Granita or Frappuccino, this frozen drink combo of coffee and caramelized pecans will just make your summer! Get your friends over and your blender and get to it!

Ciccio is a boy's name of Italian origin. Meaning "honey" and "sugar," this name is for the baby that is sweet as pie. With a term of endearment as a name, your little one will always know how much you love them.

Is granita good for you? ›

Granita is an Italian delicacy — a refreshing, energising, and absolutely healthy summer dessert. This emblem of Sicilian culinary tradition contains no lactose and is therefore particularly easily tolerated in the diet.

No wonder her bar, Santo Musumeci in the small town of Randazzo, is constantly cited as one of the best – if not the best – places to find gelato in Sicily, and even Italy. Following her father's death in February 2022, Giovanna Musumeci now runs the gelateria-pasticceria with her sisters Sandra and Carmen.

The good news about granita is that you can eat it pretty much any time of day. In Sicily, though, it is most often eaten in the morning for breakfast (or second breakfast), which may be surprising for Americans who are not used to eating frozen treats first thing in the morning.

In Sicily, granita is not enjoyed all by itself - it's almost always consumed with an accompanying bun of fluffy brioche (and the brioche buns have a bun of their own: a little ball on top of the dough called a tuppo in reference to the low-bun hairstyle popularized by Sicilian women).

Granita is a frozen fruit dessert made from fresh fruit and water, blended and frozen until icy, flaked with a fork and frozen again. The result is a delightfully crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth fruit ice, perfect eating all on its own. When served on everything from yogurt to co*cktails, it becomes a complete game-changer.

What flavour? The classic granita flavours are lemon, cinnamon and jasmine, with variants such as strawberry, almond and coffee. But there is also pistachio, black mulberry, peach, mandarin and pineapple, depending on the season.

Frappés are often confused with granitas, despite being two very different drinks. While frappés are shaken with ice cubes, granitas are prepared by pouring an espresso over crushed ice to cool it down.