The city of Rome is filled with many different interesting aspects; starting with the incredible buildings, monuments and art and continuing with the amazing traditional food, the Eternal City never fails to surprise you. When visiting Rome during the Summer, there’s nothing better than a Grattachecca, the typical Roman version of the granita. This fresh drink is perfect to freshen up during your walks through the streets of this majestic city.
Let’s find out something more about the Grattachecca and why you should try it!
A frozen tradition: the origins of Grattachecca
The first allusion to what turned out to be the Grattachecca dates back to ancient Rome, as the Patricians were really into the Nivatae Potiones, a frozen dessert made with snow, fresh fruit and honey that kind of looked like a sorbet.
Ancient Romans loved frozen drinks and started experimenting with the preparations a lot, getting the snow from the mountains, leading to the creation of the Grattachecca that we know today.
Grattachecca: the Art of blending ice and fruit juice
The Grattachecca is a handmade frozen drink made with scraped ice and a mixture of fruit juice and sweet syrups, put together when serving it. The Grattachecca can come in many different flavors, starting with the most traditional ones like lemon, strawberry, watermelon or peach and ending with more experimental flavors that were added in the last few years, like coconut, mango, papaya and many more…
The differences between Granita and Grattachecca
Many people tend to confuse the traditional Roman Grattachecca with the traditional Sicilian Granita. These two frozen beverages are quite different in preparation, even though the end result may look similar.
The Granita is, in fact, made by preparing a mixture of water, fruit juice and sugar that is later on frozen and continuously mixed by a machine. The Grattachecca instead, as previously mentioned, is made by scraping a big block of ice and then adding the juice and syrup right when serving it. This makes the Granita a little more constant in flavor, compared to the Grattachecca, where the ice and juice are more distinct.
Conclusion
When visiting Rome, make sure you don’t miss out on trying a traditional Grattachecca. It will surely leave you satisfied and it’s the perfect ally for the hot Summer days! If you want to get to know more about the city of Rome, check out our other blogs!
