Uncover the best Granita in Sicily with us!

Uncover the best Granita in Sicily with us!

Written by: Debora September 3, 2016

Where to eat the best granita in Sicily? 

This weekend we went to the province of Messina and we had a special aim: to discover the amazing world of the Sicilian Granita and tell you about it!

Let’s start: what is granita?

It’s a typical sweet product that was introduced to Sicily by the Arabs, who used to drink a beverage – sharbat – made with ice and perfumed essences. This technique was later improved by Sicilians. In Sicily, snow was collected in natural caves, called “Neviere”, to preserve ice which was subsequently crushed and mixed with fruits, juices or flowers.

Nowadays, local people and tourists eat this granita for breakfast or for lunch, but also after dinner to refresh the palate, accompanied by a typical briosciawhich is a round shaped brioche and recognizable a by the little ball on top. This specialty is available in all bars from May to October and comes in different flavours, of which the most typical are: StrawberryLemonCoffeePistachio and Almond. It’s better if you decide to let them put on some handmade fresh whipped cream to add taste to it, in which case you can mix everything together, or eat the cream first. It’s up to you!

aYou can find the granita everywhere in Sicily. However, the best area for this culinary highlight is Messina and its surrounding areas.

The best places for Sicilian granita 

We can recommend some places to taste authentic granita in Milazzo and Messina:

  • In the town centre of Milazzo, at Chantilly Cafè, the owner makes different types of granita with fresh fruit every day and the secret ingredient is his passion. Granita is the best mix of fresh fruit, sugar and water. Everything is perfectly balanced, the quantity of sugar depends on the sweetness of the fruit, in order to make it sweet enough rather than cloying. Granita must be refreshing and rich to dip the brioche into it.The owners were so kind and they opened the door of their lab by revealing us all the secrets of their granite…Take a look at our photos!Don’t be shy, try all the combinations you like and let the staff recommend what is better for you! Their specialty is ricotta cheese granita, something really tasty! Their ice-cream is really good too, try Cassata and Sapori di Sicilia – two typical Sicilian flavours.
  • Besides, in the centre of Messina, at Pasticceria Irrera, a traditional pastry shop, you will find different flavours and the brioche is really soft and tasty. At Punta Faro, at Bar Eden the fruit flavours are really scrumptious and fresh, and the brioches are freshly baked throughout the day.
  • During a trip on Mount Etna, you can't stop in Randazzo and taste the deliciuos granita of Bar Musumeci
  • In Catania you can stop in Savia and Caffè Europa
  • In Acitrezza don't miss Mythos 

Debora