Grattachecca: the Perfect Roman Drink for Summer
Grattachecca
Do As the Romans Do
On a hot summer day, do as the Romans do and enjoy a grattachecca. The grattachecca romana is a drink or cold treat made from shaved ice, fresh fruit, and syrup. It holds a mix of incredible simplicity and rich history reflecting its origin city of Rome. It makes the perfect Roman drink for summer and Romans have been enjoying the grattachecca romana since the 1900’s.
The History of Grattachecca
Years Filled with Tradition
Icy desserts and drinks are said to have made appearances in Rome as far back as ancient times. Writings reveal that ancient Rome enjoyed treats from snow taken from the mountains and mixed with honey and pieces of fruit. Snow men would gather the snow in the mountains, pack it in straw, and bring down the snow from the mountains on carts pulled by oxen. Can you imagine these snowmen and their oxen along Roman streets making their ice block deliveries?
At the turn of the 19th century in the classic Roman neighborhood of Trastevere, grattachecca became an official street dessert. Neighborhood chioschetti began to make this refreshing treat widely available.
What is Grattachecca?
A Traditional Roman Treat
Grattachecca romana is not to be confused with granita. Though similar, granita has Sicilian origins and is made by mixing water, sugar, and fruits and is then frozen together. This results in each ice crystal containing all the flavors.
Instead, grattachecca is made after the ice has been frozen. It is made by using a special instrument to shave the ice off of the block by hand. These little pieces of ice are the base and the treat. Then you add flavors: the pieces of fresh fruit, syrup or fruit juice, and sugar. It's a Roman tradition and method.
As an American, I would describe grattachecca as a frozen treat more like an icy snow cone made with fresh fruit.
This Roman drink comes from the words grattare (to grate) and the Roman word checca (block of ice). Grattachecca is simply that.
Beat the Roman Heat like a Roman
Keeping it Cool
When the heat of the summer begins to settle in upon the city of Rome, Romans find creative ways to keep cool.
Due to the enormous amount of concrete in the city, it can heat up like an oven. I even had a pair of shoes literally melt as I was wearing them walking the streets of the city. The ground was so hot, that the glue melted and the straps of my sandals came out of the sole of the shoes. My point—it can heat up in Rome!
That first summer I was living in Rome, I have to admit that the reality of the Roman heat was a bit shocking. Shock because...un caldo caldissimo. But how do the Romans keep cool and beat the Roman heat?
You do find ways to deal with it and deal with no AC. We would take a trip to the mall. We chose the mall because it was one of the few larger buildings that had air conditioning. Sometimes we would choose Ikea.
Another way is to keep cool is escaping to the beach for the day. The sea is only a 30 min drive outside of the city. We would load up the cooler with drinks and pack our beach tent and go. Or we would
One simple way to beat the heat is by enjoying an icy and fruity treat. We would cool off with treats like gelato and grattachecca. With a heat like Rome’s, it’s no wonder grattachecca is the perfect Roman drink for summer.
The First Time I had Grattachecca
Summer Magic
The first time I had grattachecca was one particular, hot summer night. My husband and I were hanging out with my new friend, Alessandra, and her boyfriend. Ironically, I had met her in the center of Rome at the opera when I had gone to see Tosca with my husband a few months earlier. We had sat in a balcony with her and her zia. After making acquaintances, we had realized that our apartment buildings where literally across the street from each other. Not a coincidence!
Alessandra and I became amiche and language partners as she was learning english and I needed the Italian conversation practice.
So back to the hot summer's night in Rome. The four of us were visiting out on our terrace after supper. They asked if we had tried grattachecca yet. We hadn't. In classic Roman style, we seized the moment and piled into our little Fiat with our young boys ignoring the fact that it was after 10p.
We found a parking spot close enough and began walking to the historic kiosk, Sora Maria. By this time it was about 11p and yet there was a line of locals waiting to enjoy this classic Roman treat. We waited patiently and chose our flavors carefully.
The wait was worth it. It reminded me of a snow cone in a way. But this was different. This treat had shaved pieces of ice with fresh, in-season pieces of fruit. The flavors were distinct and unique. With a brightly colored plastic spoon, I would scoop a bite and crunch down on a piece of ice. Then a piece of fresh cherries and coconut. It was magic.
When in Rome
Where to find Grattachecca in Rome
What makes grattachecca the perfect Roman drink in summer? One reason is that, grattachecca is completely Roman in its essence. Grattachecca is sacred for Romans. They appreciate and value the tradition of continuing to make grattachecca by hand even today.
Today, grattachecca is strictly prepared by hand and served at the historical kiosks found in the city. You will find them in many of the classic neighborhoods. Here are a few of the famous ones you should visit when you are in Rome during the summer:
Alla Fonte d’Oro, Lungotevere Raffaello Sanzio, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
La Sora Maria, Via Trionfale, 37, 00195 Roma RM, Italy
Sora Mirella, Lungotevere degli Anguillara, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Chiosco Testaccio, Via Giovanni Branca, 122, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
How to Make Grattachecca Romana
A Recipe You Can Make at Home
Making grattachecca romana at home is really quite simple. You just need a few simple and seasonal ingredients and ice.
Ingredients:
Ice
Syrup or fruit juice
Sugar
Fruit
Preparation:
It’s a good idea to let your ice set out at room temperature for a small amount of time. This gives just a bit of time for the ice to be able to be coarsely grated.
You can grate the ice using a special hand crank tool or a mixer. I used a vintage hand crank tool I found from my nonna. You can find one similar here.
Note: I should have shaved mine a little bit more finely to get the best consistency.
It’s also a good idea to have your fresh fruit already in pieces and ready to be added to your ice mixture when you shave it. You. an also use fruit like amarena cherries in syrup. It’s also a good idea to pre-mix your syrup or fruit juice unless you're using store bought syrups like these. I made up a simple syrup as the base for my juice mixture. I then used a juicer to get the juice out of the fresh fruit and then added that to the syrup so it was ready to add to the ice.