Sicily celebrates black mulberry granita and Bivona IGP peaches as regional culinary icons

In Catania, the black‑mulberry (gelsi neri) granita is a summer‑time staple made from freshly harvested fruit. The berries are hand‑picked at peak ripeness, pureed without artificial additives and frozen into a lightly acidic, sweet granita that recalls family traditions and local seasonal rhythms.

In the nearby Monti Sicani, the town of Bivona produces the IGP‑certified Bivona peach. Grown on the hills surrounding the Magazzolo valley, the peaches are harvested by hand across four ripening periods from June to October, each with a distinctive sugar content. The fruit’s quality is strictly regulated, and its harvest is celebrated each August with a festival that draws tourists to the “city of peaches.” Both specialties highlight Sicily’s enduring agricultural heritage and its role in regional tourism.