Regional excellences: the Calabrian granita

Originally from Sicily but appreciated throughout Italy for its refreshing taste, the granita is ideal for fighting the hottest days of the summer season. The granita, consumed in large quantities especially in the south, is an excellent variant of ice cream and can be accompanied with plenty of whipped cream and the famous "Brioche con il tuppo".

The Calabrian summer is made of sea, sun and long walks at sunset, but also of home-made ice cream, coffee soda and, why not? A nice ice-cold granita. Whether it's with fruit, chocolate or pistachio, the granita deserves to be eaten comfortably seated in a kiosk by the sea. Usually served in glass cups, it goes well with freshly whipped cream.

The variants of granita to taste in Calabria

Calabrian people are large consumers of granita and, according to some research, it would seem that in some places of the region it is consumed more than ice cream.

The historical ice-cream shop "Da Peppino", located in Favazzina (close to Scilla, in the province of Reggio Calabria) produces particularly good granita and offers the customer a wide choice of flavours. Abundant and creamy, the granitas produced in this bar are made with genuine and quality products. Among the many granitas on the menu, the Bergamot one, not too sweet and well-balanced, deserves a taste. The brioche are excellent.

The "Café de Paris" in Tropea, located in Piazza Ercole, produces particularly tasty granita. The menu offers a wide choice of flavours ranging from the classic strawberry granita to the sublime watermelon granita, where you can perceive from the first taste that the sweeteners are totally absent. Recommended is the melon granita with plenty of whipped cream.

The bar "La Pergola", located in Lazzaro (province of Reggio Calabria), has been run for decades by the Borrello family. The structure gives customers the opportunity to taste, comfortably seated in the large outdoor room, an excellent granita made with top quality ingredients. Many flavours are offered: from lemon to strawberry to peach and prickly pears. Amazing is the chocolate granita: served with several layers of whipped cream inside and accompanied by fragrant handmade brioche, this granita gives the customer a real moment of pleasure.