Similar to sherbet is the Italian granita, a certain forerunner of the Sno-cone born in Sicily. It is a slushier version of the American summer favorite drunk through a straw, flavored NOT with tongue-staining syrups of unidentifiable flavors, but with fresh citrus, a wide range of unusual fruits, or even coffee!
Listed even in the Larousse Gastronomique, the granita is an Italian invention for which the whole world is grateful!

Ice cream, or gelato, is also attributed to the Italians, to one Bernardo Buontalenti to be exact, a Florentine architect and set designer who lived in the 1500's. Its spread to the rest of Europe, starting with France, is attributed to another Italian -- Catarina de' Medici.
Ice cream as we know it today, enriched with cream and egg, has witnessed an explosion in the number of available flavors in the last ten years, adding frozen yoghurt for the calorie conscious and a chorus of exotics not likely to be found even in New York: Muscat, saffron, rose and Sambucco.

The most recent addition, perhaps the wackiest since garlic ice cream, is a gelato al parmigiano (Parmesan cheese ice cream) whipped up renowned chef Ferran Adrà, who aims to put it on his menu as an antipasto ... Surprising has it may seem, a recipe for this dish has already been featured in at least one cookbook, the Ricette regionali italiane, by Fernanda Godetti, published in 1967.
Italian ice cream enjoys a splendid reputation throughout the world and is second only to pizza as the product most identified with Italy by foreigners. In Germany, where no less than 3,500 Italian gelaterias are doing a thriving business, vendors are hanging out the Italian tri-color flag accompanied by a sign which reads: Made by an Italian.

Gelato alla frutta - Fruit Ice Cream
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 candy thermometer
2 lbs. fresh fruit as follows:
11 oz. peaches
11 oz. apricots
11 oz. pears
3 bananas
juice of 1 lemon
4 C. sugar syrup (Karo syrup) heated to 90°
1 C. peach syrup

Preparation:
Wash all fruit well, removing pits from peaches and apricots before slicing; peel and seed the pears before slicing. Peel and slice the bananas. Combine all fruit in the bowl of a kitchen machine and blend on medium for 5 minutes, or as desired.
Measure the volume of the fruit puree and add the same amount of syrup (if using your own syrup, cool to 90°c. on a candy thermometer). Blend well, and add the lemon juice. Add the peach syrup and cool the mixture to 65°/66°. If the temperature exceeds the desired level, add a bit of water, if it is too low, add a bit of the sugar syrup. Place the mixture into the ice cream maker and run it until the mass has frozen completely.

GELATO AL CAFFE`CORRETTO - Coffee Ice Cream

5 oz. sugar
2 demitasse coffee
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
4 T whipped cream
2 eggs
3/4 pint milk
1 pkt vanilla sugar/vanilla flavoring
2 T brandy

Whip the eggs together with the sugar and vanilla. Add the coffee and cocoa. Pour into a saucepan, add milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, then add the whipped cream and brandy. Place the mixture in a serving dish and place in the freezer for at least two hours before serving.

In spite the fact that ice cream is universally loved and enjoyed throughout the world, it is considered a dietary luxury item - an unnecessary calorie bomb to be enjoyed infrequently and never in excess. This is indeed a bit unfair, as ice cream consumed as part of a well-balanced diet has a lot going for it! It is a nutritious dairy product full of vitamins and calcium, among other things.
For the average person, ice cream is recommended as an integral part of the diet, and in one sure way to make sure children get their share of certain proteins, fatty acids, soluble sugars, vitamins and minerals. Of course, each person's organism and degree of physical activity is unique must be taken into account, as well as the individual's diet as a whole.
There are various types of ice creams to choose from, some being lighter in calories than others. After a light meal, low in calories and fat content, a richer, creamy ice cream is no problem. If the meal itself was rich and heavy, a fruit-based ice cream is advisable.
Because of its high energy value and rapid assimilation, ice cream makes an ideal light snack or even a light meal. Some people consider it a great dietary supplement for fussy children!

Nutrition Facts: Dairy-based ice creams

Nutrition Facts: Fruit-based ice creams

And when they tell you it makes you fat……