If you’re reading this, you likely know that we take our food very, very seriously at Italy Segreta. It’s not uncommon to find us dissecting recipes and arguing about the optimal variety of tomato, or what the best way to cook broccoli is. And of course, when it comes to the infinite and minute variations on classic Italian dishes, the atmosphere at the office can get downright heated. In order to settle it once and for all, we’ll be taking the time to workshop and taste-test beloved recipes from Italy’s different cities and regions, in the aim of agreeing on the one, ultimate, reigning recipe. We’re not saying this is the most historically accurate or traditional way of cooking these recipes–there are plenty of other places you can go for those methods–this is just our highly opinionated editorial board’s collective favorite way. Approved by both the Italian and international contingents. 

Normally, the best antidote for Italian summer heat is to go find the nearest gelato confezionato or gelateria and savor those few moments of your tongue coming into contact with something freezing cold. But for those moments when even a walk to the corner is too much to stomach, we bring you the most refreshing treat of all: granita that you can make from the comfort of your (hopefully air conditioned) home. 

Granita s like the perfect lovechild between gelato and a slushie–made from chilling fruit juice or nut milk with sugar, and stirring as it freezes so that the mixture turns icy, creamy, and a little bit granular, rather than frozen solid. The recipe was brought to Sicily during the Arab occupation and has evolved over the centuries to become a true staple of Sicilian life. The first iterations included citrus juice, rosewater, or sandalwood, though today the most typical flavors are gelsi (mulberry), mandorla (almond), pistacchio, and limone. Eat it for breakfast with a brioche or for a snack after sunbathing at the beach, but never for dessert after a meal: granita is the star of its own show. We’ve chosen two of our longtime favorites here: lemon because, well, you can find them anywhere, and it’s just so purely refreshing; and mora (blackberry) because there’s nothing quite so quintessentially cottagecore summer as picking your own wild blackberries and then going home to make granita. You can sub any fresh fruit you like, throw in some fresh herbs (basil and mint are ~chef’s kiss~), or do as the Arabs did and add a little something floral. Nut-based granita is a little more complicated, since it’s really best to milk the nuts yourself, so that’s a recipe for another day. 

Italy Segreta’s Granita Al Limone 

Serves 10 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large lemons (or 6 medium, 8 small). We likelimone sfusati di Amalfi which have a high juice concentration, but if you can’t find them, Meyer lemons or, of course, Sicilian lemons, are good too. You’ll need enough to yield 300 ml (1 cup) of juice
• 300 ml (1 cup) water 
• 300 grams (1 cup) sugar
• Optional: fresh basil, mint, rosewater, ginger, lavender, elderflower, sandalwood… the mix-in possibilities are endless

PREPARATION

1. Make simple syrup: combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan, and heat on medium-high until the sugar is dissolved, stirring continuously so as not to burn the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat off and transfer to a freezer-proof container with a lid. Let it cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, zest one lemon into the container with the simple syrup.
3. Juice the lemons into a separate cup, being careful to remove any seeds. 
4. Pour the lemon juice into the container with the zest and simple syrup. 
5. Add any mix-ins that you desire.
6. Cover the granita mixture and place it in the freezer for 45 minutes, or until it begins to be icy along the edges, but still more liquid in the center.
7. Take it out, and with a whisk, fork, or hand blender, mix it up, being sure to scrape the sides to combine the icy bits with the slushy bits.
8. Repeat this process every half hour, until the whole mixture has the same consistency: the ice crystals should be a little bit granular, but the mixture should be fairly smooth–juicy but more solid than a slush. 
9. Serve it with brioche, in a cup with a spoon, or to be fancy, scooped into hollowed-out lemon halves (you’ll have some of those on hand, after all). Top with a sprig of mint or basil, or a thin slice of lemon for flair. 

Note: You can easily adapt this recipe for whatever quantity you need. Just keep the 1:1:1 ratio of lemon juice, water, and sugar.

Italy Segreta’s Granita alle More

Serves 10

INGREDIENTS

• 300 grams (2 cups) blackberries 
• 300 ml (1 cup) water
• 200 grams (2/3 cup) sugar
• Optional: fresh basil, mint, rosewater, ginger, lavender, elderflower, sandalwood… the mix-in possibilities are endless; for this recipe, we decided to use fresh basil

PREPARATION

1. Make simple syrup: combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan, and heat on medium-high until the sugar is dissolved, stirring continuously so as not to burn the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat off, add in a few leaves of fresh basil (or whatever aromatic add-in you choose), and let it infuse while it cools to room temperature.
2. Puree blackberries and simple syrup using a potato ricer, hand blender, or food processor until the consistency is pulpy. We like to keep bits of the fruit in there for texture.
3. Add granita mixture to a freezer-proof container with a lid, cover, and place in the freezer for 45 minutes, or until it begins to be icy along the edges, but still more liquid in the center.
4. Take it out, and with a whisk, fork, or hand blender, mix it up, being sure to scrape the sides to combine the icy bits with the slushy bits.
5. Repeat this process every half hour, until the whole mixture is the same consistency: the ice crystals should be a little bit granular, but the mixture should be fairly smooth–juicy but more solid than a slush. 
6. Serve it with brioche, in a cup with a spoon, dessert coupe, etc. Top with a sprig of mint or basil, or a glug of prosecco or gin to channel the energy of our other favorite summertime snack, the sgroppino. 

Note: You can substitute just about any fruit here, just adjust the ratio of sugar accordingly for the sweetness of the fruit. For example, for watermelon granita, we use about half the amount of simple syrup because the fruit itself has so much sugar and water in it already.