Have you tried ‘snow burgers’? Why traditional Italian treat granita is even better than ice cream

For those with a sweet tooth, Italian gelato finds its supreme twist in granita – a hybrid between an ice cream and a slushie, born in the southern “pastry kingdom” of Sicily.

Granita is a sweet treat that has undergone only minimal change from its original recipe through the centuries. What makes it special is this strong territorial link.

“To taste granita one needs to travel all the way to Sicily, as no other place in the world makes the real [thing],” says Salvatore Farina, head of the Ducezio association, created to promote Sicilian pastry art and traditions.

“It melts in the mouth quickly but has lasting after-effects. Once you’ve tried it for the first time, most plain ice cream will seem inferior and tasteless.”

Granita – the name in Italian nods to “grainy ice” – is a dense mixture of sugar, water and ice blended with crushed pistachios, toasted almonds and the best of Sicily’s seasonal fresh fruit, such as mandarin oranges, lemons and figs.

There’s no leaking, watery ice. The mixture isn’t liquid but clings to the spoon and crunchy ice bits linger on the tongue.

Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Romans, who used to feast on a fine mix of shaved ice and fruit served as an after-meal refresher to help digest lavish meals.

Farina says that granita was not invented by Arabs during their colonisation of Sicily, as some have maintained, but the other way around.