A great alternative to ice cream is sorbet, or water ice, which is also called granita and can be flavored with various fruit syrups. It is a fabulous drink which contains no milk or eggs, but just water and sugar and is very refreshing o a hot summer day.

In Rome, these water ices are called 'grattachecca' because the ice is scratched from a block of ice. Nevertheless, when you think granita, Sicily tends to come to mind. I know friends from the island who are very severe in judging the quality of a granita which they insist must be flavored with almond milk, coffee and be accompanied with a brioche.

The English writer Edwar Lear in the diary of his Italian journey made from July to Agust 1847 mentions that his host in the province of Reggio Calabria offered him snow mixed with wine. The ice from the high mountains of Calabria was used to preserve the food and make refreshing drinks throughout the summer

The cuisine of the province of Crotone is neatly split between upland cheeses and coastal fish dishes. Look no further than the old town of the provincial capital for some fantastic sea food dishes.

August in Calabria is when many return to their family home for the long summer vacation period. As a result the month sees a myriad of festival and events. Here are our choice of wonderful local food festivals or sagre in the the province of Vibo Valentia alone.

To give an idea of the crossover between pagan, Christian and imported rituals, which has been a feature of Italy for millenia, the 'Feste dei Morti' in Calabria is an interesting example.

These famous red onions are grown in an area which stretches in both directions along the coast from Tropea. The onions belong to the lily family and are of 3 distinct types:

What is Nduja? Sometimes called 'ndugghia' or 'nnuglia' it is not dissimilar from the tripe salami known in France as 'andouille'. Although available all over Italy it originates from the zone of Monte Poro in Calabria and the hinterland of Capo Vaticano between Nicotera and Tropea. Specifically, Spilinga.

It is made from pig's fat or 'lardo', kidney and the lungs of the animal. All the offal is (very) finely chopped and wrapped in an intestine along with a healthy dose of Calabrian peperoncino. It is then matured for 12 months to render the aroma and taste even stronger.

There are a number of Calabrian salami or salumi which are worth a mention, the most famous are Capocollo and soppressata.

Capocollo Calabrese

The deboned loin of the pig is used for this product. The meat is salted for at least a week after which herbs are added and it is wrapped for a maturing period of 100 days It has a delicate smoked aroma thanks to black pepper. This gets more pronounced as the maturing period increases.

What has happened to Greek wine over the last 2000 years? Undisputed leaders to no hopers, overtaken by the likes of Bulgaria, Chile and even the New World.

It's a sorry tale. But their legacy in Italy carries on. In fact, history tells us that around 300 BC a plot of land used for the cultivation of wine was worth six times more than a similar area dedicated to cereals.

Today, perhaps the province of Cosenza offers the best introduction to the Calabria wine experience and the Cosenza Tourism Board highlight five wines grown in their territory. They are Verbicaro, Esaro, Donnici, Savuto and Pollino. A little about each.

The bergamot aromatic fruit has been associated almost uniquely with Calabria since 1400. How they first arrived in the region is open to interpretation.