Flavors of Sicily: granita of the Val di Noto

For the Sicilians, granita is a real rite, a time of social relations, like coffee for the Neapolitans.

all other ices The granita is considered the "mother" that have spread in Italy and sccording to the true tradition, It should never be eaten after a meal.

Granita is a cold pudding, typical of Sicilian cooking. Prepared with water, sugar and juice (the pulp) of fruit, It is a compound semi-frozen quite thick.

During the preparation it is very important that the chilling takes place by degrees, continuing to stir the mixture, so that water does not crystallize into ice and damage the sugary sweet aroma.

Granita according to tradition

Served in transparent glasses, It was traditionally accompanied by fresh and crisp bread, replaced over time by "brioche" Sicilian pasta prepared with leavened.
"The only brioche granita" was and is the typical Sicilian breakfast, particularly, in summer along the coastal areas.

Messina is the city of coffee granita, while Catania are the most consumed almonds, on which you pour a drop of hot coffee and the chocolate, prepared with cocoa powder.
Very appreciated by the Sicilians also granita pistachio, to blacks mulberry.

To prepare a good Sicilian granita must obtain a whip and a top steel container and narrow and turn the mixture into continuation with rapid circular movements.

History and culture

Granita has its origin during the Arab domination, has evolved mainly in the eastern side of the island in a unique product that, Along the coast, acquired different aromatic variations.
During the Arab hegemony existed a drink called "sherbet" composed of flavored ice with rose water or fruit juice.

The granita was preparing, according to tradition, using snow collecting on 'Etna. stipandola in "niviere" stone into natural caves.
The snow turned into ice and was collected during the summer, grattandola away from the sheets of ice formed and adding salt to maintain the low temperature.

The granita was mixed continuously, prepared in a steel container placed inside a cockpit with snow and salt.

In the sixteenth century, the snow mixed with sea salt began to be used, not as an ingredient but as a refrigerant.

In the twentieth century, water replaces the snow and honey replaces sugar.
The manual cockpit, thanks to technology, It has been replaced by ice cream maker allowing the granita to maintain a creamy mixture, rich in flavor and airless, with features that make it recognizable around the world as granita.