Scirubetta Festival: Gelato, Sorbetto and So Much More!

Gelato, sorbetto, ice cream, sherbet… what’s in a name? Who hasn’t enjoyed all of the above at one time or another? Reggio Calabria has a frozen-dessert event with an interesting name – the Scirubetta Festival. The multi-day indulgence is dedicated to gelato artigianale and takes place along the city’s beautiful seafront. This past September, I happened upon the event and had the opportunity to sample a few scoops of the festival’s delicious artisanal gelato with a view of the Strait of Messina.

WHAT IS SCIRUBETTA?

First off, I wondered about the name. Scirubetta looks and sounds like sherbet, and indeed has Arabic roots, referring to a cool beverage. I’m told that Europeans still drink something called sherbet, much different from our American sherbet or sherbert, made from water, sugar, a dairy ingredient and some type of flavoring. Sorbet, or sorbetto in Italian, differs from sherbet in that it doesn’t include dairy amongst its main ingredients of water, sugar and fruit, although incorporating egg whites lends a creamy smoothness.

A creamy lemon sorbet served in Calabria

Scirubetta has its origins in Calabria’s mountains. Although the tendency is to think of beaches when looking at a map, with water surrounding the toe of the boot, Calabria is actually quite mountainous and scirubetta arose in a snowy environment. It is similar to granita, typical of Sicily, a semi-frozen dessert made from water, sugar and fruit or another ingredient.

Strawberry granita with lots of whipped cream and a brioche – typical summer fare in Reggio Calabria

Thus, scirubetta is none other than an early granita, made with snow and cotto di fichi or miele di fichi (fig reduction or “honey”), a dense fig syrup with a honey consistency, or perhaps mosto cotto (grape must syrup). And while ancient peoples may have eaten frozen desserts in the cold, they more than likely enjoyed their slushies in warmer weather, thanks to the neviera, a type of pit or grotto in which snow was placed to be used for food and beverages when the temperatures rose. Over time the flavorings expanded to include citrus and other fruit, coffee and chocolate.

SCIRUBETTA FESTIVAL

Gelato and sorbetto at the festival

While the organizers of the Scirubetta Festival hearken back to an ancient name, present-day gelato was the focus with 34 gelato makers from 7 countries presenting their inventive creations. The event was enhanced with lectures, cooking presentations and even demonstrations featuring gelato in savory dishes. Ingredients, such as fruits and nuts from specific locations, highlighted distinct regional flavors and their explorations in Italian gelato culture.

GELATO AND SORBETTO ARTIGIANALE

Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria

Several gelatieri or gelato makers featured the bergamot, citrus par excellence of Reggio Calabria, and sorbetti or sorbets were popular in keeping with the event’s theme. Here are the interesting ingredient combinations that highlight Reggio’s unique citrus, with the creativity carried through to the names:

Settembre Reggino (Reggio’s September) sorbetto: toasted almond, bergamot of Reggio Calabria, local apricot preserves, caramelized almond crunchies

Agrum d’Oro (Golden Citrus) sorbetto: water sugar, bergamot of Reggio Calabria infusion, lemon infusion

Tramonto sullo Stretto (Sunset over the Strait): hazelnuts from the Langhe area in Piedmont, wildflower honey, Bourbon vanilla, bergamot of Reggio Calabria

Alba Mediterranea (Mediterranean Sunrise) sorbetto: Almonds from Avola (Sicily), carrots, honey, bergamot of Reggio Calabria

Cuore della Calabria (Calabria’s Heart): vanilla, bergamot of Reggio Calabria, Calabrian wine reduction with caramelized figs, walnuts [by an American gelato maker]

Luce e cacao (Light and Chocolate) sorbetto: chocolate liquor, bergamot of Reggio Calabria, Earl Grey tea

Mango Reggio (no translation needed!): mango, bergamot of Reggio Calabria, peperoncino.

Other examples of distinctive recipes include:

Ciuri di Sicilia (Sicilian flowers): sheep cheese swirled with pear, gluten-free cinnamon biscuit, cocoa nibs

Gelato al Panzibì (Panettone Zibibbo): fresh milk, cream, panettone made with Zibibbo raisins from Bagnara (town north of Reggio Calabria).

CLASSIC GELATO

Interestingly, alongside all these fanciful concoctions, the first-place winner was a more classic recipe:

Nocciolissimo (Ultra Hazelnut): a swirled hazelnut base with dark chocolate and hazelnut crunchies.

I don’t have the capacity to eat too much gelato. However, I tend to gravitate to simpler, more unified characteristics and found a delicious, amazingly creamy gelato with an intensely natural burst of berry flavor made by a young woman (just 17 years old!) from the very north of Calabria:

Mirto selvatico del Pollino: pure wild myrtle of the Pollino Mountains.

Wild myrtle gelato

Ti viene l’acquolina in bocca? Is your mouth watering? This was the fourth edition of the festival, and as the promotional materials promise: “Every flavor is a discovery, every taste, a journey.” See you in Reggio Calabria next year!

Sample the outstanding gelato and sorbetto in Southern Italy! Join me on one of my small-group Calabria Tours (I have three itineraries) or on my Basilicata Tour of Calabria’s northern neighbor.

Read about the fascinating Calabrian region in my book Calabria: The Other Italy, described by Publisher’s Weekly as “an intoxicating blend of humor, joy, and reverence for this area in Italy’s deep south,” and explore Calabria’s northern neighbor in my book Basilicata: Authentic Italy, “recommended to readers who appreciate all things Italian” by the Library Journal.

Follow me on social media: Basilicata Facebook page, Calabria: The Other Italy’s Facebook page, Karen’s Instagram and Karen’s Twitter for beautiful pictures and information.
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CALABRIA: The Other Italy and BASILICATA: Authentic Italy make great gifts!