Granita, sherbet and ice-cream in Sicily.
From the Turkish word serbet meaning “a cool drink”,
this word was transformed into the Arabic word sarab,
hence the word “sciroppo” (syrup).
However,
the most suggestive word is sorbetto (sherbert).
The closest reference, however,
is to the use of snow collected from the Etna
volcano and kept in natural hollows or pits until
well into the summer, ready for the preparation of
what was the forerunner of ice-cream.
Though it is quite likely this method dates to Roman
or Greek times,
it was the Arabs who turned ice-cream making into
a real art and gave it the technology and tastes that have
made ice-cream what it is today.
From sherbet to granita,
and from granita to ice-cream: the raw material changes,
from water to milk, as does the consistency,
from a semi-liquid substance to a creamy one.
However,
the outstanding feature of Sicilian ice-cream is the variety
and the typical tastes,
some of which just cannot be reproduced anywhere else.
Although,
sicilian ice-cream parlors fear no competition:
the “spongata” are extremely mouth watering:
they are a collection of various tastes mixed together
with liqueurs.
“Scumoni” is a covering of chocolate or pistachio with
beaten egg and sugar in the center.
As for granita,
the range goes from lemon to coffee,
which are two classic ones.
But, there are specific Sicilian ones made from,
say, almond milk, prickly pear and black mulberries.
It is quite well known that Sicilians have breakfast
at the local bar with a brioche and a glass of coffee
and cream granita.
Another of the many Oddities is the watermelon ice-cream
found in Palermo which smells of jasmine
typically eaten on Saint Rosalie’s day.