Sicily — particularly Messina and Catania. The Arab rule of Sicily (827-1072 AD) introduced the tradition of cooling drinks flavoured with fruit syrups, which evolved into the Sicilian granita. The breakfast of granita and brioche is specifically Messinese.
Sicilian granita is fundamentally different from Italian ice (the American snow cone) or the French granité: it is a semi-frozen preparation with a specific granular, light, crystalline texture achieved by continuous scraping during freezing — creating a 'grainy' (granita — from grano, grain) ice that is neither snow nor sorbet. The finest granitas are made from the freshest seasonal fruit (blood orange, lemon, strawberry, mandarin), good coffee, almond milk, or jasmine — with a minimum of sugar and no dairy. In Messina and Catania, granita is eaten for breakfast with a brioche col tuppo.
Lemon granita at the correct temperature and texture is one of the most refreshing things in food: cold enough to cool the mouth, but not so frozen that it numbs — light enough to dissolve almost immediately, releasing pure lemon flavour in a burst. The crystalline texture is part of the pleasure — it is not a liquid, not a solid, something genuinely in between.
The sugar content must be carefully calculated — too little and the granita freezes solid; too much and it won't freeze granular. The Brix (sugar concentration) for granita should be around 20-22° — measurable with a refractometer. For a lemon granita: 1 litre water, 250g sugar, 180-200ml fresh lemon juice. The mixture is poured into a shallow, wide metal tray (to maximise surface area) and placed in the freezer. Every 20-30 minutes, the tray is removed and the forming ice crystals are scraped with a fork or spatula — breaking them up before they form a solid mass. After 3-4 hours of scraping, the granita should be light, granular, and pour-able. It is not blended.
The almond granita of Messina (granita di mandorle) uses a strained milk of soaked almonds (the original almond milk) rather than water — the fat in the almond milk produces a slightly creamy, opaque granita unlike any other. For the best lemon granita, use Meyer lemons if available (lower acidity, more floral) or a mix of lemon juice and a small amount of lemon zest infused into the water before freezing.
Blending in a food processor — produces a smooth slush; granita must be scraped to achieve its crystalline structure. Too much sugar — never crystallises. Not scraping frequently enough — the ice solidifies into blocks. Using artificial lemon juice — the flavour is flat; only fresh-squeezed will do. Serving too cold — granita should be served at -5°C to -8°C, not rock-solid frozen.
Mary Taylor Simeti, Pomp and Sustenance; Giorgio Locatelli, Made in Italy