18/10/2023
The origins of ‘Granita’ date back to very ancient times. Already in the Middle Ages the profession of the ‘nivaroli’ was well known, who after having carefully collected and preserved the snow on Etna and on the other Sicilian mountains, on the Nebrodi, the Iblei and the Peloritani in the winter months, then transported it to the coast, where it was sold and then ‘grated’ for the preparation of the granita’s ancestor, the ‘rattata’ with lemon, coffee, almond or other flavours, which still survives today in different forms and in different regions of Italy.
Ingredients:
Water: 500ml
sugar: 200 gr
pistachio paste: 250 gr
Preparation:
Dissolve the pistachio paste in the water with your help, add the sugar and mix until it dissolves completely. Filter the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps. Pour into the ice cream maker following the instructions for use or, if you don’t have one, put the mixture in a metal tray, freezing it in the freezer and turning it every half hour with a wooden or steel spoon to prevent it from becoming a single block. . When the granita has reached the right consistency, serve it in cups that you have cooled in the freezer. Decorate with pistachios.
We always recommend accompanying it with an excellent Sicilian brioche.
We suggest a site where you can buy the block of pistachio paste, useful for making granita: http://www.sicilyveryfood.com/#!/home