Italian ice facts for kids
Italian ice in a paper cup
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| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Water, fruit (concentrate, juice or purée) |
Italian ice is a super yummy frozen treat. It's made with water, sugar, and lots of fruit flavors! These flavors often come from fruit concentrates, juices, or purees. Sometimes, other natural or artificial flavors are used too.
Italian ice is a lot like sorbet and snow cones. But here's a cool fact: unlike some types of sherbet, Italian ice doesn't have any dairy (like milk) or egg ingredients. This makes it a great choice for people who can't have dairy!
This delicious dessert came to the United States from Italian immigrants. It's inspired by a similar Italian treat called granita from Sicily. You can find Italian ice in many different flavors. Some popular ones are lemon, cherry, orange, watermelon, blue raspberry, mango, strawberry, and blackberry. There are so many flavors to try!
What is Water Ice?
In some parts of the United States, especially in Philadelphia and the surrounding Delaware Valley area, this frozen treat is known as water ice. It's basically the same thing as Italian ice!
Just like Italian ice, water ice also came to Philadelphia thanks to Italian immigrants. It's a special kind of Italian ice that became very popular in that region. So, if you hear someone talk about "water ice" in Philadelphia, they're talking about the same fruity, frozen dessert you know as Italian ice!
Images for kids
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A cup of water ice
