Granizado de Maracuyá

Granizados — shaved ice desserts flavoured with tropical fruit syrups — are Peru's most democratic street food, sold from carts in every plaza from Lima to Cusco. This version uses maracuyá (passion fruit), the tartly perfumed tropical fruit that grows prolifically on Peru's costa and is one of the country's most prized flavours. The result is a fiercely refreshing frozen dessert that captures the essence of the Peruvian summer.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 large ripe passion fruits (or 200ml / ¾ cup bottled passion fruit pulp)
• 120g (½ cup) caster sugar
• 250ml (1 cup) cold water
• 2 tbsp (30ml) fresh lime juice
• Pinch of salt
• Fresh mint leaves, to serve

Instructions

1. Halve the passion fruits and scoop the pulp and seeds into a sieve set over a bowl. Press firmly to extract all the juice — you need about 150ml (⅔ cup). Discard the seeds.
2. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature — this is your simple syrup.
3. Whisk together the passion fruit juice, cooled syrup, lime juice, and salt. Taste — the mixture should be intensely tart-sweet; adjust with more lime or sugar as needed.
4. Pour the mixture into a shallow metal baking tray (about 20x30cm / 8x12 inches). Freeze for 1 hour until the edges begin to freeze solid.
5. Using a fork, scrape the frozen edges towards the centre. Return to the freezer. Repeat every 30 minutes for 2–3 hours until the entire tray is a mass of fine, dry crystals.
6. Scoop into chilled glasses, scatter with fresh mint, and serve immediately.

Cook's Notes: For a creamier texture, stir in 60ml (¼ cup) of coconut cream with the other liquids before freezing. The granizado is best eaten within 2 days; scrape again with a fork if it has compacted.