Star Metro - In heatwave, Romans turn to vintage snow cones to stay cool

It may be difficult for non-Italians to pronounce -- think "gratta-kekka" -- but the Roman-style shaved ice is colourful, cheap and refreshing like no other.

In an turn-of-the-century kiosk near the Tiber River, Massimo Crescenzi, 72, was in constant motion one recent weekday in front of a patiently waiting line of clients, whose numbers rarely flag with 37C temperatures scorching the capital.

His wife Rosanna Mariani was behind the scenes at the "Golden Fountain" as the business is named, pulling large blocks of ice out of a freezer, cracking them with a pick into small chunks, and feeding them into a machine.

Her husband then poured the crushed ice into a glass, adding fresh fruit and colourful syrups, according to each customer's preferences.

He cautioned that the treat loved by generations of Romans was not Sicilian granita -- in which water is combined with fruit and sugar from the outset and frozen together.

A debate lingers in Rome over the merits of using the more hygienic machine, which is Crescenzi's choice, or the old-fashioned way of shaving the ice by hand.

"It's delicious! Especially on such a hot day, it's very refreshing," said Andrea Alvarado, a 55-year-old Californian, who opted for the exotically flavoured tamarind, mint and black cherry grattachecca on offer.

While on vacation in Rome, she learned about the four-euro treat on social media: a modern way to discover an old tradition.

With increasingly frequent heatwaves in Rome, demand is growing, the owners told AFP, with various kiosks across the city offering the frozen desserts.

"The season used to begin in June through September. Now, we're May to October and probably in the next few years it will be even longer," Crescenzi said.

- Four generations -

Boasting that theirs is "the oldest kiosk in Rome", Mariani showed off black-and-white photos taken in 1913 of the family business.

"It's a kiosk that was opened by my grandfather 112 years ago," said Crescenzi.

That means the business has so far lasted four generations, now that his youngest son helps him during the summer rush.

Sitting in the shade, US tourist Victoria Kiser was enjoying her treat: "There's a reason it's been in business since 1913," she agreed.

Crescenzi knows the history of grattachecca like the back of his hand.

Back in the day, "ice came from the Abruzzo mountains and was transported to Rome by carts," he said.

Those were the days before factories began to produce ice, making things more efficient.

The treat's name probably derives from the story of a nobleman whose servants would prepare food and drink for him, he said.

"When he went to ask for a very refreshing drink, one with ice, he had around him various people including the famous Francesca, whose diminutive in Roman dialect is 'checca'."

Grattachecca was born.

French tourist Fabien Torcol was enjoying a coconut-lemon grattachecca. He said he loved the dessert, but...

"It's not easy to pronounce," he laughed.

V.Watson--SMC