Granite

Granite can refer to any of a variety of frozen preparations in Italian cuisine, but generally speaking and for the purposes of this curriculum, it is a slushy, grainy-textured ice, based on a flavored sugar syrup with a relatively low sugar content. Granite are commonly served in well-chilled glasses and garnished, but they may be served plain or as a palate cleanser. They are most often found in bars and are more common in southern Italy.

A granita usually has a lower sugar content than a sorbetto and is prepared with little stirring during the freezing process, resulting in coarse ice crystals. Granite should register between 13° and 17° Brix on a refractometer. Granite are usually mixed and placed in a stainless-steel pan, placed in the freezer, and stirred occasionally at regular intervals as ice begins to form around the edges; this ensures the distribution of flavor and encourages the formation of ice crystals, while preventing the granita from freezing solid. In this method, granite are prepared for serving by scraping an ice cream scoop or a large spoon across the frozen surface, shaving off bits of the flavored ice.