Gelato: the chefs’ vision

"I love being with people and listening: everyone has something to pass on. I like to learn and to engage with cultures different from mine." Asked to write something about himself, chef Giuseppe Raciti realises once more that his work was never an accident, an imposition or a fallback: it is a true passion, an integral part of his life — the clatter of pans and the crackle of frying are reassuring, thrilling, indispensable sounds. His first memory dates to age nine, when he kept telling his mother he would be a chef. At thirteen he started working, from morning to night in summer and at weekends during school. At sixteen he left for Switzerland to train professionally and see the world — from the Palace in Gstaad to the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz, from Villa Principe Leopoldo in Lugano to Le Chalet d'Adrien in Verbier — followed by the formative experience with maestro Ezio Santin at the Antica Osteria del Ponte. Back in Sicily, five years at the San Domenico in Taormina, the last two as sous chef beside Massimo Mantarro, a great teacher and an example of life — who sent him out again, to Verbier with chef Mirto Marchesi, from whom he learned energy, joy, team spirit and imagination. The wish to bring home everything he had 'stolen' on his travels brought him back to Sicily and to Zash country boutique hotel, a charming hotel born from the restoration of an old wine press: 13 hectares of citrus groves between Etna and the sea, 17 design rooms, a spa and a restaurant that was waiting for him — his first experience as owner, playing with pans again as he did as a child. In 2019 came the coveted Michelin star. They say of him: explosion and implosion; mild and seemingly quiet, yet very funny and whimsical, and his dishes tell it, stimulating every sense — reserved but witty, shy but lively, visionary and traditional, serious and cheerful, imaginative and technically prepared, silent but… the right word at the right time.

Granitiamo was born in 2016 in Palmi, Calabria, from the union in life and work of Chiara Saffioti and Antonio Grillea. The mission of the project is to restore the great tradition of artisan granita to centre stage, taking it to a higher level through artisan care, slow processing and an obsessive selection of raw ingredients. In the workshop there are no industrial compromises: citrus fruits and local specialities are chosen, and colourings and chemical additives are rejected, to preserve the authenticity of the flavours. Granitiamo is not simply a gelateria and granita shop, but a workshop at the cutting edge of tradition, where the scientific rigour of balancing and the historical memory of signature gelato making intertwine. The beating heart of the business is granita in the traditional Sicilian style, celebrated for its extraordinary creaminess and clean taste. Over time the value of the project has been confirmed by national and international awards, including First Prize at the Nivarata International Festival of Sicilian Granita 2018 with the flavour “Calabrisella”, the Santo Musumeci Award 2023 at the Sherbeth Festival, podium finishes at the 2024 and 2025 editions of Nivarata and First Place at MIG – Mostra Internazionale del Gelato Artigianale in Longarone 2024. Today Granitiamo is a benchmark for cold haute gastronomy, where every carapina tub speaks of purity, technique and place.

Born in Palermo, raised in Rome, with a pinch of Carnic roots, she turns every journey into a food report. A journalist since 2019, she wrote for several trade titles before joining the editorial staff of Food&Wine Italia; she also contributes to Travel + Leisure Italia and Fortune Italia. Her curiosity for taste led her to become a level-one certified Chocolate Taster at La Città del Cioccolato. Her philosophy: life is too short not to taste everything… at least once.