Granita or granita siciliana is a type of sorbet made from sugar solutions flavored with lemon, coffee, or fruit juices, and stirred during freezing to produce a soft mixture made up of many tiny ice crystals. Originally from Sicily, it is available throughout Italy in varying forms. Food writer Jeffrey Steingarten says that "the desired texture seems to vary from city to city" on the island; on the west coast and in Palermo, it is at its chunkiest, and in the east, it is nearly as smooth as sorbet.