Veneto and Sicily united by ‘sub-zero’. Once again this year, the Sicilian granita arrives at the MIG in Longarone (23-24-25 November). Granita is by far the dessert that, especially with the great heat, is finding favour with consumers by acquiring more and more space in the offer of ice cream parlours and the spread has now also reached central and northern European countries, which have always been fans of ice cream.
THE CONTEST
At the International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, in addition to the many training and professional development proposals, there will also be the opportunity to delve into the secrets of granita, to which a specific contest is dedicated. Under the aegis of Gelato Officinale – a reality founded by the glacier chef Maurizio Valguarnera, teacher at the Vegan Academy – on Saturday 23 November, from 3.00 pm to 5.30 pm, in the Sicilian area, where two workstations will be set up with vertical freezers made available by the historical Iceteam1927, gelato and granita makers will compete in a challenge open to all artisans in Italy on who will make the best Sicilian granita. The contest will provide an opportunity for professionals to confront each other and share techniques and knowledge about the world of true Sicilian artisan granita.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Considered historically the forerunner of ice cream, its origins date back to the domination of the Arabs in Sicily, who brought with them the recipe for ‘sherbet’, or ‘bibita’, a frozen drink flavoured with fruit juices. In Sicily, to prepare the granita, the nobles used the snow that was collected in the mountains in winter by the ‘nivaroli’, i.e., men who collected and stored the snow. This was then stored throughout the year in the ‘neviere’, which consisted of natural cavities that had been modified and reinforced with stones and other materials to preserve the low temperatures. In summer, the ice that had formed was taken away, to be scraped and covered with fruit or flower syrups.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
