Refreshing ice-based recipes: wherever you go, you’ll find “granita”

On scorching summer days like these, even appetite is put to the test by the high temperatures. Finding inviting and refreshing foods that are also nutritious becomes a necessary challenge for one's well-being.

Typically, fruits and vegetables are the preferred foods, not only because they are light and fresh, but especially because they are rich in fiber, water, vitamins, and minerals, which are essential for replenishing the substances lost through perspiration.

And what’s the most delicious way to enjoy fruit? Smoothies, shakes, ice creams, and… granitas!

Indeed, ice is truly the ideal ally in this sweltering July. It refreshes, rehydrates, and allows for the preparation of cooling desserts for a snack rich in vitamins.

Sure! Here’s the translation:

"Recipes are certainly not lacking, and if you want to try replicating them or inventing new ones, some appliances could be helpful:

• An ice maker like the G3 Ferrari Artiko Digit G20159, which can produce about 1400 ice cubes in 24 hours, providing a true stock that is always ready in all seasons and at all temperatures;
• A blender for ice like the G3 Ferrari Vortice G20098. Not just a simple blender, but also a powerful ice crusher with six blades and four different speed settings, allowing you to create many different preparations."

Recipes with ice from around the world

Did you know that ice plays a key role in many recipes from around the world? The idea of a refreshing dessert made with crushed ice exists in various cultures and has given rise to a wide range of variations of what is considered the quintessential ice-based recipe in Italy: Sicilian granita.

Granita has ancient roots that date back to the Arab period in Sicily, from the 9th to the 11th century. During this time, the Arabs introduced sherbet, a sweet drink made from fruit and rose water that is still common in the Middle East, from which the Italian word "sorbetto" is derived, another variation also based on ice. Granita consists of three main ingredients: water, sugar, and natural flavorings, which can vary greatly depending on the region. The most traditional Sicilian granite flavors were lemon, jasmine, and black mulberry, but there are also many other flavors, such as coffee, almond, pistachio, and strawberry. Granita is not just a dessert but also an integral part of Sicilian culture and tradition. It is often enjoyed at breakfast, accompanied by brioche col tuppo, a soft sweet brioche with a characteristic round "head" on top.

"Then get ready to embark on this journey to discover ice-based desserts from different countries.

Let's start with Italy: the Roman variant of granita is called grattachecca, and it is made by scraping a block of ice and adding fruit syrup."

In Japan, kakigori is prepared: finely shaved ice that is worked until it reaches a soft and fluffy consistency. Another Eastern variant is Chinese baobing, which is crushed ice often served with fresh fruit, condensed milk, sweet beans, ice cream, and jellies. In South Korea, it is quite similar and is called bingsu. In the Philippines, we have halo-halo, a combination of crushed ice and condensed milk, with a variety of ingredients like coconut jelly or pineapple, ube (purple yam), jellies, sweet beans, and puffed rice. In Thailand, namkhaeng sai is instead topped with sweet syrups, coconut milk, jellies, fruit, and various toppings. Similar are the Indonesian variant (e.g., campur) and the Malaysian one (ais kacang), the latter also including sweet corn.

Similar to each other are the Indian gola and the Pakistani gola ganda: crushed ice served on a stick and dipped in sweet syrups of various flavors, such as rose, mango, and lime.

Moving to the American continent, we find other variations, such as raspado, which is crushed ice mixed with sweet syrups, fresh fruit, condensed milk, or other toppings. In the USA, some of the most interesting variations are the sno-ball from Louisiana, which is finely crushed ice topped with syrups and other toppings like condensed milk or marshmallow fluff, and Hawaiian shave ice, which is finely shaved ice served with flavored syrups such as guava, pineapple, coconut, passion fruit, or mango, sometimes with the addition of condensed milk or a scoop of ice cream at the bottom.

The Japanese Kakigori

Kakigori is a traditional Japanese dessert made from shaved ice. It is very popular, especially during the summer months, due to its freshness and lightness. The ice for kakigori is finely shaved to achieve a soft and light texture, similar to snow. The shaved ice is then topped with sweet syrups in various flavors, such as strawberry, melon, lemon, green tea, and many others. Some versions are made with real fruit and pieces of fresh fruit, served with cream and condensed milk. A popular version includes matcha syrup and ice cream, condensed milk, sweet red bean paste, and rice flour dumplings known as mochi.

Traditionally, kakigori is prepared with a manual ice-shaving machine, but today electric machines are also used. If you want to recreate the recipe without having a specialized machine, you can use an ice-crushing blender.

Here’s how to make DIY kakigori.

Ingredients:

• Condensed milk 100 g of sugar
• 200 g of fresh fruit
• Azuki bean paste
• Small mochi
• Lemon juice

Blend the fresh fruit until you achieve a smooth puree, pour it into a saucepan, add the sugar and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Bring everything to a boil and let it cook until the liquid reduces by half. Once ready, let the syrup cool. Now, take some ice and crush it finely. Place a layer of ice at the bottom of a cup and cover it with a tablespoon of condensed milk. Add a tablespoon of adzuki bean paste and pieces of fresh fruit. Top with more crushed ice until the cup is almost full. Continue alternating the layers until you reach the top and decorate with syrup and pieces of mochi.

The Mexican Raspado

Mexican raspado is a refreshing dessert made from finely crushed ice until it achieves a soft and light consistency. It is topped with artisanal or commercial fruit syrups. Common flavors include tamarind, mango, lemon, strawberry, and guava. The syrups can be homemade by cooking the fruit with sugar until a syrupy consistency is reached. It is often enriched with additional toppings like sweetened condensed milk, pieces of fresh fruit, gummy candies, or other sweets. In some variations, lime juice is added for a touch of acidity. It is also common to add chili powder and sauce to create what are known as chamoyadas.

You can also make a simplified version at home by blending the ice with a blender. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of sugar 
• 1 cup of water 
• 1 cup of fresh pineapple, cut into pieces 
• 1 cup of fresh passion fruit (pulp and seeds) 
• 4 – 6 cups of crushed ice 
• Sweetened condensed milk, to taste

Pour the water and sugar into a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes slightly thick. In another pot, cook the diced pineapple and the pulp of the passion fruit with a little water until the fruit is soft, then blend and strain the mixture to obtain a smooth puree. Divide the cooled sugar syrup into two equal parts, adding the pineapple puree to one half and the passion fruit puree to the other, mixing well. Fill 4 glasses halfway with crushed ice, drizzle with the passion fruit syrup, add more crushed ice to completely cover, and finally drizzle with the pineapple syrup. Top with a splash of condensed milk to taste and serve immediately.