La Grattachecca A Roman Summer Favorite

During the hot summers in the capital of Italy, little kiosks start opening all over town selling only what is known as the Grattachecca, a funny name for a refreshing delicious drink. These kiosks are in fact closed during the rest of the year and open up in late May and remain open until the first week or so of September, but it is a great way to cool down if you are walking all over the city while being hot and humid.

The drink is prepared by scraping the ice from a huge slab of the substance, affectionately called la checca, and in fact the main ingredient of the grattachecca is ice which is then complemented with different fruity flavors such as kiwi, coconut, watermelon and even amarena (a type of cherry syrup), and often you will also have a piece or two of the actual fruit, so this is a great way of staying hydrated during the summer. There are also a mix of different flavors such as lemoncocco (lemon and coconut) or a mixed berries or even a liquorish or a lemon and kiwi mix and the typical prices of these drinks range from 2.50 Euros to 3.50 Euros.

According to Wikipedia (it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grattachecca) the history of the grattachecca is said to be dated back to Ancient Roman times by the emperor Quintus Fabius Maximus which would go to mount Terminillo, which is about 100 kilometers from the capital, in the Apennines and brought back ice from there. Quintus Fabius Maximus wanted this ice to be flavored with sweet syrups and sold by the thermopolia, which were ancient kiosks that sold both hot and cold beverages.

But what exactly is the grattachecca, well when you order one you will see that there is a person standing in front of a large block of ice and will start shaving the ice with a tool (typically a metal one) and will put the ice in a plastic cup and then add the syrup and fruit and will serve it to you with a straw and a plastic spoon. This is great while walking in the streets of the capital as you are sight seeing and you will typically find the kiosk around the Lungotevere near the Tiber river, the oldest ones seem to be in the Trastevere area but you will see one or two in the Ponte Milvio area, which is a more northern area and part of the city.