Sicilian Granita Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a Sicilian granita? ›

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.

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

As a breakfast, granita is traditionally eaten only in Sicily. It's mostly the coffee granita served with a whipped cream topping and accompanied by a soft sweet bun/brioche. But in other parts of Italy is eaten in the same way you would eat an ice cream (as afternoon or evening snack).

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. Another very popular flavour is the so-called “chocolate granita”, which is actually made with cocoa.

In the 20th century, snow was replaced by water, honey was replaced by sugar and the manual well was replaced by the ice cream maker. The most traditional flavors of granita drink were those with lemon, almond, chocolate and coffee, and in eastern Sicily cinnamon and jasmine.

Like sorbet, granitas are often made from a puree of fruit, sugar, and water. The difference is in their texture. Unlike sorbets, which are smooth-churned, granita purees are scraped repeatedly during the freezing process, loosening their structure into icy flakes.

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.

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.

While sorbet, sherbet, and granita all share very similar common ingredients and characteristics, there are a few distinctions to be made about the components and preparation of these desserts that sets them all apart.

1) Caponata

One of Sicily's most recognizable culinary contributions is caponata, a savory eggplant appetizer served warm or at room temperature. The traditional version is a unique combination of sweet and savory flavors, typically fried eggplant with olives, vinegar, tomatoes, and capers.

What do Sicilians eat every day? ›

In Sicily the diet is strongly based on grains, vegetables, and fish. Meats and game are available, but often used in very special dishes, not everyday ones. Swordfish and tuna are the fish most frequently eaten.

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.

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.

However, there is a knack to making ice cream, and it must be eaten swiftly, as it diminishes in quality the older and firmer it becomes. Granita, on the other hand, keeps very well indeed for several days in a sealed container in the freezer.

Most granitas are made using three simple ingredients - fruit, liquid and sugar. Whatever fruits, juices or wines you choose, you can make almost any granita according to the same basic recipe. First, you need to get the correct ratio of fruit to liquid and sugar.

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.

Sit down and eat the granita calmly because we are not talking about a refreshing drink: it should be consumed without haste. Use the brioche, being careful to finish it together but remember that, speaking of Sicilian traditions, making an encore of brioche is allowed.