Granita with brioche
The loveliest month of the year deserves the most wholesome food.
No tourist fare, no compromises — here’s what Juli really enjoys eating in Italy.
Brioche with lemon granita — for breakfast
In Sicily This isn’t the exception, but the rule: cut open a brioche croissant, spoon in some granita, and you’re done. The ice cream is chunkier than sorbet, more intense than any lemonade. Anyone who’s ever had this in a bar in Catania at eight o’clock in the morning will understand why Sicilians take life so easy.
Panzanella — a Tuscan bread salad served cold
Stale bread, ripe tomatoes, red onions, basil, vinegar, plenty of Olive oil. Let it soften first, then eat it. Panzanella It’s not a salad, it’s a philosophy: don’t throw anything away; everything feels better when it’s been out in the sun.
Spaghetti alle vongole — for lunch at the harbour
No cream. No tomatoes. Just mussels, white wine, garlic, olive oil and the right Pasta. The clams must open during cooking, and if they don’t all open, you throw the closed ones away. It’s best to do this in one of those places where the fishermen themselves have their lunch. And afterwards, a siesta in the shade.
Peaches — just like that, with both hands
July is the peak season for Italian peaches. At the market, they’re perfectly ripe – they stick to your fingers and drip onto your T-shirt. And that’s just how it should be. Anyone who buys them and eats them on the very same day will understand why Italians get so worked up about supermarket peaches. Pesca tabacchiera — flat, white, sweet — you simply must try it.
Fiori di zucca fritti — fried courgette flowers
This snack appears on menus in Rome as an antipasto, but the best ones are the ones fried by a nonna at a market in a small village. The flowers are stuffed with ricotta or anchovies, dipped in batter, deep-fried in hot oil — and must be eaten straight away. They’re absolutely delicious when hot.
From Aosta to Sicily: Italy’s 20 regions
Crudo di mare — raw seafood platter
Raw, cold, fresh from the sea: mussels, seafood, sometimes thin slices of fish, a squeeze of lemon. Il crudo It’s not sushi, but the idea is similar — the best version of the product needs no processing. In Apulia and Calabria You can get them almost anywhere, and July is the perfect time for them.
Aubergine parmigiana — hot or cold, it doesn’t matter
Aubergines, tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Parmigiano, basil — layered on top of one another and baked in the oven. In Naples They say you have to make it the day before. The lovely thing about the Parmigiana: It tastes just as good cold as it does warm.
Anguria — Watermelon in the piazza
Every village has its watermelon stall in July. You buy a slice, sit on a wall, eat it and spit the seeds towards the piazza. In Italy, watermelon isn’t just a fruit – it’s a social ritual. La dolce vita with a taste of summer.
Sgroppino — Venetian lemon sorbet with Prosecco
Originally a Venetian intermezzo served between courses — today, primarily a summer cocktail-dessert hybrid: lemon sorbet, Prosecco, and sometimes a dash of vodka. Whisked in the glass, drink immediately before the ice cream melts. Sgroppino makes every evening a good one. Especially on a terrace with a view of something lovely.
Sicilian caponata — the most authentic dish of the summer
Aubergines, celery, olives, capers, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar — sweet, sour and savoury. Caponata It’s not just a side dish; it’s a statement. Every family in Sicily has their own recipe for braised vegetables. Served cold, spread on bread, or on its own.
The original pizza from Naples
Photo: stock.adobe.com/Caterina Trimarchi; yuliiaholovchenko
