There is only one word you need to know when you visit Rome in the summer: Grattachecca, the city’s iconic summer treat. Not this is not granita, cremolato, or gelato. Nor is it slurpee or water ice. It’s a mountainous cup of freshly shaved ice flavoured with fruit syrups, juices and fresh fruit. And it’s about to be your best friend and savior when the mercury spikes. Believe us, it’s spiking already.

Though grattachecca may be a fairly new street food for Romans, dating to the late 19th century, cold drinks have been around for millennia. The ancient Romans loved Nivatae potiones, a dessert made with snow, honey and fresh fruit and other frozen delights, a tradition which evolved into today’s grattachecca.