Not just ice cream, the summer desserts that provide refreshment in the heat: the map region by region. Is there your favorite too?

With the arrival of high temperatures, ice creams, granitas, sorbets and desserts become protagonists of the summer table. Alongside the best-known preparations, each Italian region preserves fresh specialties that tell of traditions, local ingredients and recipes handed down over time. From the North to the Islands, here is a journey through 20 sweets and desserts that are symbols of summer, one for each region, to discover the flavors that make the hottest days more pleasant.

Northern Italy

Piedmont – Penguin

Born in Turin in the 1930s, Pinguino is considered one of the first Italian ice creams on a stick. It is prepared with a base of cream or fiordilatte covered with a layer of dark chocolate which solidifies and becomes crunchy. Designed to be consumed while walking, it is still one of the symbols of the Piedmontese summer.

Valle d’Aosta – Cogne cream cup

Crema di Cogne is one of the most representative desserts of the Aosta Valley and takes its name from the Alpine village of the same name. It is prepared by whipping fresh cream with sugar and egg yolks, enriched with dark chocolate flakes which give a pleasant intense note. The consistency is soft and velvety, with a balanced taste that combines the delicacy of the cream with the character of the cocoa. Served very cold in a cup, it is the ideal dessert to end a meal, although in some variations it can be flavored with coffee or a local liqueur.

Liguria – Panera

Panera is a Genoese specialty halfway between ice cream and semifreddo. It is prepared with fresh whipped cream, sugar and coffee, traditionally obtained with a very concentrated mixture. The consistency is soft and frothy, while the flavor combines the sweetness of the cream with the intense aroma of the coffee.

Lombardy – Stracciatella ice cream

Invented in Bergamo in 1961, stracciatella ice cream comes from a base of milk, cream and cream enriched with melted dark chocolate poured during freezing. The chocolate solidifies forming thin crunchy flakes distributed in the ice cream. Today it is one of the most requested flavors in Italian ice cream shops.

Trentino-Alto Adige – Berry ice cream

This ice cream enhances small mountain fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, currants and blackberries, harvested during the summer. The base is prepared with milk, cream and fresh fruit puree, obtaining an intense and slightly acidic flavour. It is one of the most popular options in ice cream parlors in Alpine resorts.

Veneto – Prosecco ice cream

Prepared with a base of milk, cream and a Prosecco reduction, this ice cream maintains the aromatic and fruity notes of the famous Venetian wine. The alcohol content is very reduced thanks to the processing. It is mainly served in artisanal ice cream parlors and during summer events.

Friuli Venezia Giulia – Gubana ice cream

This specialty takes up the ingredients of the famous Friulian dessert. The ice cream is prepared with a cream base enriched with walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine nuts, raisins and candied citrus peel, often flavored with a drop of grappa. The result is a fresh dessert that recalls the flavors of regional tradition.

Emilia-Romagna – Lemon sorbet

Lemon sorbet is one of the most popular summer desserts along the Romagna Riviera. It is made with water, sugar and fresh lemon juice, obtaining a soft and slightly grainy consistency. In many restaurants it is served at the end of the meal with the addition of prosecco or vodka.

Central Italy

Tuscany – Peach stuffed with ice cream

This summer dessert uses ripe peaches, hollowed out and filled with cream, vanilla or fior di latte ice cream. It can be completed with crumbled amaretti biscuits, cocoa or chocolate sauce. It is served very cold and is a popular preparation during the summer season.

Umbria – Sagrantino semifreddo

The semifreddo is prepared with whipped cream, cream and a reduction of Sagrantino di Montefalco wine, which gives aroma and light fruity notes. The preparation is left to harden in the freezer before being served. It is often decorated with berries or dark chocolate flakes.

Marche – Anisette cold cream

This preparation combines a base of ice cream or cream semifreddo with Anisetta, the typical aniseed liqueur from the Marche region. The result is a cold cream with a delicately aromatic taste, often completed with chopped almonds or crumbled biscuits. It is a specialty offered especially in artisanal ice cream shops.

Lazio – Grattachecca

The scratcher is one of the symbols of the Roman summer. It is made by hand scraping a large block of ice and adding fruit syrups, fresh juices and ingredients such as coconut, black cherries, mint or fruit pieces. It is freshly prepared in the traditional kiosks of the capital.

Abruzzo – Summer parrozzo

This summer version of the famous parrozzo transforms the traditional dessert into an ice cream or semifreddo. The main ingredients are almonds, dark chocolate and cream, which recall the taste of the original recipe. It is served very cold maintaining the typical flavors of the Abruzzo dessert.

Molise – Tintilia ice cream

This ice cream takes inspiration from Tintilia, the native Molise vine. The milk and cream base is flavored with a wine reduction, which gives fruity and slightly spicy notes. It is an artisanal preparation proposed especially during events and summer.

Southern Italy and Islands

Campania – Neapolitan spumone

Spumone is a frozen dessert made up of multiple layers of cream and chocolate ice cream, enriched with candied fruit, dried fruit or chocolate chips. It has a cylindrical or dome shape and is served in slices. For many decades it was the dessert of Campania holidays and summers.

Puglia – Lecce coffee

Prepared with freshly brewed espresso poured over ice and almond milk, Lecce coffee is one of the most representative sweet drinks of Salento. The contrast between the hot coffee and the cold ice creates a fresh and aromatic preparation. Although not a traditional dessert, it is one of the symbols of the Apulian summer.

Basilicata – Senise PGI Pepper Ice Cream

This artisanal preparation uses the famous Senise PGI pepper dried and reduced to powder, combined with milk, cream and sugar. The result is a sweet-tasting ice cream with light aromatic and spicy notes. It represents a modern reinterpretation of one of the most characteristic products of the region.

Calabria – Pizzo Truffle

The Pizzo truffle is made up of two flavors of ice cream, generally hazelnut and chocolate, molded by hand around a heart of melted chocolate. After being covered with bitter cocoa, it is stored at a low temperature until serving. It is one of the symbolic products of Calabrian artisanal ice cream.

Sicily – Mellon frost

Mellon ice is a spoon dessert prepared with watermelon juice, sugar and starch, which gives it a soft and compact consistency. It is flavored with jasmine water or cinnamon and completed with chocolate chips and pistachios. It is served very cold throughout the summer.

Sicily – Granita

Sicilian granita is prepared with water, sugar and fruit juices or pulps, but is also widespread in coffee, almond, pistachio and lemon variants. The slow processing produces a fine and creamy consistency, different from that of traditional granitas. It is almost always accompanied by the classic brioche with tuppo.

Sardinia – Carapigna

Carapigna is an ancient sorbet prepared with water, lemon juice and sugar, processed in traditional sorbet jars cooled with ice and salt. The texture is soft and slightly grainy, while the taste is fresh and citrusy. Even today it is prepared especially in the villages of Barbagia during the summer season.