July 26, 2012
When I first came to Sicily I though it was just plain weird: who ever heard of shoveling ice into your mouth at dawn????
But now I think it’s brilliant. These soporific temperatures demand it.
Apparently, Sicily’s Arab conquerors (10th-11th centuries) were the first to blend snowflakes from Mount Etna with sweet fruit juices.
Look at all the flavors you can get nowadays!
Be sure to pair your breakfast granita with a big fat Sicilian brioscia or two.
Mulberry (gelsi) granita
Prickly pear (fichi d’India) granita
Toasted almond (mandorla) granita
Lemon (limone) granita, my fave
Chocolate (cioccolata) granita with cream and nuts (soooo decadent)
My friend Roberta always mixes things up. Here she ordered almond granita mixed with ice coffee. Did you know you can create your own drinks in Italy and the barista will oblige? (Dipping bread into granita is the normal m.o. of islanders at breakfast.)
***
