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PhrasesOrdering CoffeeUna granita al caffè, per favore.
A2

Una granita al caffè, per favore.

A coffee granita, please.

Pronunciation

gra-NI-ta — three syllables, stress on second.

When to use it

In Sicily and southern Italy in summer — a coffee granita with whipped cream ('con panna') is the quintessential Sicilian summer breakfast.

What it means

'Granita' is a semi-frozen dessert made from water, sugar and flavouring. 'Al caffè' = coffee-flavoured. In Sicily, granita al caffè con panna (with whipped cream) and a brioche for breakfast is a summer institution.

Variations

Granita al caffè con panna.

Coffee granita with whipped cream.

The complete Sicilian breakfast version — always ordered with cream on top

Granita al limone.

Lemon granita.

The other great Sicilian classic — sharp, icy, refreshing

Una granita mista.

A mixed granita.

Two flavours in one glass — very popular with children and indecisive adults

Mini Dialogue

— Una granita al caffè con panna e una brioche. — Subito. È la prima volta in Sicilia? — Sì! Tutti me l'hanno consigliata per colazione. — Benvenuto allora — questa è la vera colazione siciliana!

— A coffee granita with cream and a brioche. — Right away. Is it your first time in Sicily? — Yes! Everyone recommended it for breakfast. — Welcome then — this is the real Sicilian breakfast!

Cultural Note

In Sicily, the summer breakfast of granita al caffè con panna + brioche is so embedded in the culture that cafés open at 7am to serve it. The brioche is used to scoop the granita — the ultimate combination of Sicilian hospitality and ingenuity.